Morong, Rizal’s advanced emergency response system cuts response time, saves lives

In the Philippines, vehicular accidents top the list of distress calls received by emergency response centers. In Morong, Rizal, nearly 30% of all emergency calls are related to road accidents and traffic-related incidents, according to Jerome L. Mateo, head of the Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Command Center.

This statistic aligns with findings from the Department of Health, which reports that road accidents remain the leading cause of death and injury in the country, particularly among younger individuals. The number of road traffic deaths in the Philippines has risen by 39% from 7,938 deaths in 2011 to 11,096 deaths in 2021. This increase coincides with the surge in vehicle ownership and usage, leading to a higher frequency of vehicular crashes. The World Health Organization also reports that someone dies in a road crash in the Philippines every 15 minutes.

However, a significant change is taking place in Morong, where the local emergency response system has been transformed by cutting-edge technology. Thanks to the next-generation advanced 911 system, the Morong command center, located in Sitio Paglabas, Barangay San Pedro, can now respond to emergency calls in just 3 to 5 minutes—a dramatic improvement from the previous 30-minute to 1-hour response time.

Roel Gutierrez, a call handler at the command center, highlights the difference this technology has made in life-saving efforts. “With the new system, we can respond much faster and coordinate with multiple agencies in real-time,” he says. He recalls a time when a woman gave birth on the street, and thanks to the rapid response, medical responders were able to administer life-saving procedures and transport her to the hospital promptly.

Another notable case involved a person experiencing breathing difficulties. The individual was shocked when responders arrived in just 4 minutes, a far cry from the delays of the past when calls needed to be relayed back and forth between agencies.

Grayan Jay Canada, another call handler, recounts an incident when two women were trapped in their car during a flood. Although they were not from Morong, the command center still managed to assist them promptly. This was possible due to the system’s real-time tracking of calls and its conference call feature, which allows emergency responders to connect directly with medical professionals and other relevant parties.

In April 2023, Morong became the first local government unit in the Philippines to adopt this next-generation emergency response technology. The town partnered with NGA 911 Philippines, the local arm of NGA 911 LLC in the U.S., which is known globally as the innovator of emergency calling technology. Since then, several other local government units (LGUs), including Alaminos City in Pangasinan, Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro, and Mambajao in Camiguin, have followed suit.

In 2024, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) emphasized the need for a unified nationwide 911 emergency response system, using advanced technology to overcome the challenges posed by the country’s geographic features and fragmented emergency response systems. The Philippine National Police (PNP) led the implementation of the initiative with Executive Director Francis Fajardo overseeing the program.

The adoption of this technology is expected to improve disaster preparedness and response across the country, ensuring that emergency calls are handled swiftly and efficiently, regardless of location.

Morong’s success story sets a new benchmark for the country, with Bustos, Bulacan, and Navotas City expected to join the growing list of LGUs using the system by April 2025. The city of Tagbilaran in Bohol is also scheduled to implement its own world-class emergency response system in 2025.