Emergency Telephone Number 911 Replaces Patrol 117 Starting August 1

Starting August 1, 2016, the US-formatted emergency number “911” will now be operational in the Philippines. This a replacement of the existing Patrol “117” that has existed since 2003 and is managed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), referred to as the “Emergency Network Philippines (ENP).”

Original link: https://miniphilippines.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/emergency-telephone-number-911-replaces-patrol-117-starting-august-1/

Patrol 117 call centers nationwide have handled some 15 million calls since its inception. However, the majority of 117 calls are prank calls, leading the DILG to urge local government units to issue ordinances penalizing those who make hoax 117 calls.

Historically, 117 was solely used in the Metro Manila area by the Philippine National Police for the reporting of ongoing crimes as part of a program called the “Patrol 117 Street Patrol Program” in cooperation with the Foundation for Crime Prevention. Efforts to expand the capabilities of 117 began in the 1990s, starting with the addition of emergency medical services to the scope of 117 in Metro Manila through a private-sector initiative called Project EARnet (Emergency Assistance and Response network).

Government involvement in the expansion of 117’s scope began in late 1998, when the DILG announced the formation of Emergency Network Philippines, a project that sought to support a national emergency telephone number in order to enable the faster delivery of emergency services to the Filipino people.

By virtue of Executive Order No. 226, 117 became the official national emergency telephone number of the Philippines on July 14, 2003.

The P1.4 billion project was completed on August 2, 2003, with the opening of a new 117 call center in Quezon City, serving the entire Metro Manila area.[3] Four more 117 call centers were opened in 2006, and the full 117 network, consisting of sixteen networked call centers, was rolled out in 2007.

Sources of text and image: Wikipedia | LSGH ’81 Viber Group

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