What’s the Game Plan, 911?: Going Inside the DILG X Unified 911 Communications Plan
Dialing 911 only takes a few seconds, but inculcating it in the consciousness of Filipinos takes time and commitment. Hence, when every second can mean the difference between life and death, making sure that people know and trust this lifeline is just as critical.
For a country such as the Philippines, teeming not only with possibilities but also of calamities and everyday emergencies, every Juan and Juana must know they have 911 on their dials to meet the growing demands of public safety.
Recognizing that an effective emergency hotline is only as strong as public awareness and confidence in it, the DILG has placed communication at the heart of its strategy by organizing the National 911 Strategic Communication Planning Snapshot.
Spearheaded by the Office of the Undersecretary for Public Affairs and Communications (OUSPAC), together with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Communications and External Affairs (OASCEA) and the Public Affairs and Communications Service (PACS), the said initiative is set to pave better possibilities for the emergency hotline.
The 911 Perspective
Emergency 911 National Office Executive Director Francis Fajardo recognized that the drafting of the communications plan would serve as a blueprint for aligning messaging, outreach, and stakeholder coordination across national and local levels.
“It helps people clearly understand how and when to use 911. It provides accurate information to the public, encourages responsible use, and reduces prank or unnecessary calls that can delay real emergencies,” Fajardo said.
“With clear and consistent messaging, it builds trust and reinforces 911 as the single, official hotline that anyone can rely on in times of emergency,” he added.
Fajardo also sees the importance of the initiative as a vantage point in strengthening internal and external coordination within the 911 Team, and emphasized that the communication plan is instrumental in advancing a more integrated emergency response system.
“It allows different agencies to work together smoothly, and ensures timely and appropriate assistance,” Fajardo stated.
Building Strategies, Piece-by-Piece
Teaming together in the important task of crafting the maiden 911 communications plan, centered on the OASIS Framework and the DILG 2023-2028 Strategic Plan were communications experts from PACS alongside the 911 personnel.
PACS-Information and Communication Research Assistant Division Chief, Ma. Evelyn B. Castino-Quilas presented the brief overview and guidelines in drafting the Strategic Communication Planning Process and OASIS Framework.
Meanwhile, PACS-Public Relations Division Section Chief, Daryl M. Jaramilla, articulated the core communication strategies, resources, timeline, and evaluation that would guide all 911-related communications.
In her message, Assistant Secretary Maria Liavel C. Badillo-Crisostomo urged the participants to make 911 communications simple and more accessible for mass consumption.
Badillo-Crisostomo said that while there is cadence in communicating the existence of 911, she noted it should also be audience-centered, ensuring that even the most vulnerable sectors can easily grasp its purpose and how it works.
“You have to understand who the vulnerable communities are that 911 has to attend to. Yun ang palagi nating iisipin when you make your messaging and that is to make it as simple as possible,” she stressed.
As the Unified 911 continues to progress, the DILG is preparing to roll out communications strategies that reflect a more responsive, coordinated, and people-centered emergency communication system where every message contributes to saving lives.
With a strengthened communication arsenal for 911 in the pipeline, emergency response takes on renewed clarity and purpose, aligned with the national government’s vision and anchored on the public’s awareness. The result: more people informed, faster action in times of need, and more lives saved.###