TOWARDS ONE NATIONAL EMERGENCY NUMBER

Have you ever wondered why there is no single nationwide emergency number in the Philippines such as 911? Actually, it should really be 911 based on an Executive Order (EO) signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte, but up to now, many Local Government Units (LGUs) have not complied with the EO. From what I know, many LGUs reason out that they could not join the national 911 system because they already “have their own”. That reasoning might be valid from their own perspective, but in reality, it defeats the purpose of one national emergency number that anyone can call from anywhere in our country and be able to get help right away. As it is now, if anyone needs emergency assistance from anywhere in the country, they have to ask what the local emergency number is, assuming that they have the time to ask, and assuming that there would be someone nearby to ask, and assuming further that that someone would know the number. Having one emergency number is actually the easy part. The harder part is connecting that to one centralized system that could immediately dispatch police, fire and ambulance response teams. And of course, the ambulance teams should have trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Who has the power to compel all LGUs to comply with the EO to join the centralized 911 system? Should it be the DILG? Should the EO be revised in order to have punitive measures? This is a matter of life and death. IKE SENERES/09088877282/01-08-2024