Emergency hotline out of service as agents catch COVID-19

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2) — The national emergency hotline is temporarily out of service as a number of agents manning the facility tested positive for COVID-19, the Department of Interior and Local Government said Wednesday.

Speaking at the Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday, Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said local call centers are now taking in inquiries.

"Humihingi po kami ng pang-unawa sa publiko kung hindi ninyo muna po matatawagan temporarily ang 911 na emergency call number. Ang ginawa po natin ay ni-reroute muna po, ‘pag tumawag po kayo sa 911, we rerouted/disperse doon sa mga local call centers natin at mayroon po tayo for example sa Parañaque who is handling our calls for the Metro Manila," he said.

[Translation: We ask for your understanding if you will be temporarily unable to call the 911 emergency call number. What we are doing now is re-routing the calls to local call centers, for example Parañaque is handling calls for Metro Manila.]

Malaya said police and fire stations could also be contacted for emergencies.

In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte on May 25 signed Executive Orde 56, "institutionalizing the use of 911 as the Nationwide Emergency Hotline Number," replacing 117.