PAMPANGA — Police in Central Luzon are getting additional mobility support for emergency calls, with 48 brand-new Unified 911 motorcycles turned over to the Police Regional Office 3 on Wednesday.
The motorcycles were blessed and turned over during a ceremony at Camp Captain Julian Olivas in San Fernando, Pampanga, led by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and PNP chief PGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.
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The units come with emergency response equipment, including helmets, warning lights, sirens and a public-address system with a microphone that allows police personnel to issue warnings or instructions while responding to incidents.
According to PRO-3 director PBGen. Jess Mendez, the additional motorcycles will boost the police force's capability to respond to people calling for help through the Unified 911 system.
“Siyempre ang gusto ng tao kapag tumawag, mabilis ang responde. ‘Yun naman ang goal nitong 911 is mabilis natin marespondehan or matulungan ‘yung humihingi ng tulong in any incident or any case,” Mendez said
(Naturally, people want a quick response to their calls. And that is the goal of 911, for us to quickly respond or render assistance in any incident or any case.)
He said the new motorcycles will help Region 3 police respond quickly and extend the range of their patrols.
Unified 911 is the government's nationwide emergency hotline connecting the public to police, fire, medical, rescue and other emergency services.
Interior Secretary Remulla earlier said motorcycles give responders an advantage in heavy traffic and allow them to navigate narrower community roads more easily than standard patrol vehicles.
The motorcycles also provide a more flexible and economical alternative to acquiring additional patrol cars, according to Remulla.
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The deployment forms part of the DILG's Safer Cities Initiative, which seeks to strengthen police visibility, law enforcement and community-based policing, while encouraging greater participation from local governments.
Mendez urged the public to use 911 responsibly and report emergencies as soon as possible, saying early reporting allows authorities to respond sooner and potentially prevent incidents from worsening.