PLDT backs wider Unified 911 rollout with dialect-sensitive emergency command centers

• With emergency hotline operators fluent in at least ten languages, including English, Tagalog and their respective local languages, callers can speak naturally, be understood directly, and get responders dispatched faster and more accurately.

PLDT is supporting the wider rollout of the government’s Unified 911 emergency response platform as more dialect-sensitive satellite command centers begin operations across the country.

Through PLDT Enterprise and ePLDT, the telco group said four new Unified 911 satellite command centers have been launched in Batac, Ilocos Norte; Cauayan, Isabela; Tacloban, Leyte; and Leganes, Iloilo.

The expansion follows the earlier launch of the National Command Center in Manila and the Regional Command Center in Cebu last year.

The new satellite command centers are designed to allow emergency calls to be handled in local languages, helping reduce delays caused by miscommunication or translation errors during urgent situations.

“When you dial 911 in Iloilo, the answer will be in Hiligaynon. If you are in Tacloban, the answer is Waray; in Ilocos, Ilocano. That is how advanced our response is, faster, understood, and felt by every Filipino who calls in distress,” Philippine National Police Chief Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said.

Nartatez represented Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla during the launching ceremonies in Leganes, Iloilo.

Together, the four new satellite command centers cover 20 provinces across the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and Eastern Visayas regions. Operators are fluent in at least 10 languages, including English, Tagalog, and local languages in the covered areas.

With the system, emergency callers from these regions will no longer have to be routed to Manila. They can report incidents in their local language and be connected to responders faster and more accurately.

PLDT Enterprise Head and ePLDT Chairman Blums S. Pineda said the rollout marks an important step in improving emergency response services in the regions.

“The launch of the dialect-sensitive Unified 911 satellite command centers is a critical step toward more responsive, inclusive, and resilient emergency services,” Pineda said.

“We believe that technology, combined with local language and local knowledge, can further empower our responders to act faster and serve our communities better,” he added.

The Unified 911 platform was launched in September 2025 by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Bureau of Fire Protection, in partnership with PLDT, PLDT Enterprise, ePLDT, Next Generation Advanced, and Next Generation Core Services.

The system integrates police, fire, medical, and rescue services into a centralized digital platform that links national agencies with local government units.

It also features multiple reporting channels, live video streaming, centralized data reporting, GPS-based location tracking of callers and responders, and geo-fencing. The platform is hosted on ePLDT’s Pilipinas Cloud.

More satellite command centers are expected to be launched in Cagayan de Oro and Maguindanao, according to Nartatez.

PLDT said its support for the Unified 911 expansion is aligned with efforts to modernize emergency response operations and strengthen disaster resilience through digital infrastructure.