Morong, Rizal becomes first Philippine LGU with Next-Generation Advanced 911 emergency response and public safety system

Second-class municipality Morong in Rizal Province is now the first local government unit in the Philippines with a first-class, next-generation emergency response and public safety system to respond to emergency calls and ensure the protection of its residents.

Morong Mayor Sidney Soriano, Vice Mayor Jose Fred Feliciano, and other key municipal officials signed an agreement with NGA Philippines (NGA), the local subsidiary of multinational corporation NGA 911, LLC headquartered in California, USA, in April last year to provide Morong with world-class and complete solutions for emergency communication and public safety services.

NGA is known globally as the innovator of emergency calling technology and the leader in Next Generation 911 (NG911) emergency communications. The NGA NG911 system is built on the industry standards adopted by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) in the United States and the European Emergency Number Association (EENA).

Monday, May 6, Morong local officials led by Mayor Sidney Soriano and NGA Philippines Country Head Robert Llaguno led the Go Live activation of the Morong Disaster, Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Command Center in Sitio Paglabas, Barangay San Pedro in Morong. Present at the Go Live event were Department of Interior and Local Governments Undersecretary Juan Victor Llamas, Rizal Congressman Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III, Rizal Provincial Governor Nina Ricci Ynares, and Emergency 911 National Office Executive Director Francis Fajardo.

Now, the local government of Morong is ready to respond accurately and efficiently to disasters, accidents, medical emergencies, and other distress calls, using the NGA NG911 state-of-the-art digital technology that can save lives and property in the shortest possible time.

“I welcome you all to the inauguration of the Morong, Rizal Emergency 911 Command Center with Next Generation Advanced technology—the very first in the Province of Rizal, the first in the country, and the first in Asia. It has always been our utmost desire to respond effectively and efficiently to emergencies and crisis situations so that we can provide good public service to the people. Today is the culmination of that dream,” Mayor Soriano said.

NGA Philippines Country Head Robert Llaguno said Morong’s investment in the emergency NGA911 system presently used in the United States pioneers the use of technology in the country that will revolutionize the way and speed with which the LGU can handle emergencies.

“All 911 calls to the Morong DRRM Command Center are now fully recorded, and conference and transfer facilities are now seamless,” explained Llaguno. “There is more efficient dispatch and coordination because IoT capabilities enhance situational awareness that includes CCTV streams, GPS location, and other early warning devices that can now be integrated into the system.”

Llaguno said activating 911 as Morong’s emergency number aligns with Executive Order 56 of 2018, which institutionalized 911 as the emergency hotline and nationwide emergency answering point, replacing Patrol 117.

“It will not only give Morong, Rizal a shorter 911 dialing code than the usual 10-digit cell number of responders. By utilizing the NGA NG911 system, the LGU will also be able to pinpoint the location of the emergency call with high accuracy and associate it with the closest responders to provide a more immediate response.”

The NGA and the Emergency 911 National Office will train personnel of the Next Generation Call Handling System of Morong. Dispatchers will use specialized telephone equipment provided by NGA to answer 911 calls and text messages. The call handling equipment plots the 911 call or text on a map and pinpoints the caller’s or emergency’s location. The command center runs 24/7.

The technology used in the United States has changed the face of emergency communications. Internet protocol (IP) technology transmits voice, text, and video messages between callers and emergency responders. It can provide real-time data on callers’ locations and conditions, which can help first responders make more informed decisions in emergencies.

Other LGUs in the country have been briefed on the technology’s capabilities, and some are already set to follow Morong’s lead.