Cebu City opens second Unified 911 hub to boost national emergency response
Cebu City is now home to the country’s second Unified 911 communication hub. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), NGA 911, and PLDT launched the Visayas Regional Hub on October 25 at the PLDT Smart Experience Hub in Osmeña Boulevard.
The new site comes just a month after the first hub opened in Manila. It expands the reach of the country’s modern emergency hotline and ensures faster coordination for calls involving police, fire, medical, or disaster response.
The Visayas hub will soon move to its permanent location at the Bureau of Fire Protection headquarters in Lapu-Lapu City. It will operate alongside six more hubs and satellite centers planned across the country.
High-tech system powers faster response
The Visayas Regional Hub runs on NGA 911’s Next Generation 911 technology, supported by PLDT and ePLDT’s network. It includes live video streaming, GPS tracking, CCTV feeds, and centralized reporting to guide dispatchers in real time.
Call takers can handle distress calls in Cebuano, Tagalog, Ilocano, and other local languages. They are trained to respond within minutes, ensuring every emergency reaches the right team quickly. This technology now brings world-class coordination to the Visayas region.
Stronger coverage for the Visayas
The Cebu facility has 20 operational workstations equipped with NGA 911’s patented call-handling software. GPS location tracking is being finalized and will soon help responders find callers even faster.
NGA 911 Philippines Country Head Robert Llaguno said the launch marks a milestone in national emergency coverage. He noted that the system mirrors the advanced 911 infrastructure used in the United States.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla added that improving emergency systems goes beyond technology. “It’s about saving lives,” he said, praising the partnership of the DILG, PLDT, BFP, and NGA 911 in ensuring help reaches every Filipino.
