THIS city’s emergency hotline Patrol 117 and call center operation is troubled with prank callers and is, in itself, needing assistance, this was learned last week.
Added to this is the sad truth, according to Patrol 117 Operation Officer Asuri Hawani, that the long-advertised emergency number is not yet operational due to the lack of space and equipment, thus defeating the purpose of the said facility.
117, referred to by its official name as the Emergency Network Philippines (ENP), is the national emergency telephone number for the Philippines and managed solely by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The project, it was learned, costs DILG some P80 million, aimed to foster crime prevention and quick response to emergency situations.
For the “real” Patrol 117, calls originating from Pagadian City, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are supposed to be re-routed to Zamboanga City, the 117 call center for Region 9, since when a 117 call is made from a mobile phone, the call is automatically routed to the nearest 117 call center.
However, the DILG explains that 117 as an emergency number is not registered on most mobile phone models or SIM cards and that is why that at times calls are re-routed to other regional call centers in the event of an emergency.
Hawani said the Patrol 117 was only a title in reference to their office, which is designated to receive calls in urgent situations, disasters and emergency and provide quick assistance to concerned government agencies.
The landline is being manned by only two operators, identified as Florencio de la Peña and Elena Lahagan, who work on a ten-hour shift basis, 24 hours a day.
Lately, complaints about the said telephone number started to crop up after residents who rang 117 claimed a child keeps talking to them and sometimes the receiver would inform that they are calling a party line in Cebu.
A resident who wanted to remain anonymous recalled to this paper that last Oct. 11, when Columban father Michael Sinnott was reported to have been forcibly taken by armed men to Sta. Lucia, she dialed 117 using her cellular phone but the receiver on the other line started to reply with lewd remarks.
Hawani said he felt sorry for the said experience but went on to say that they failed to activate the “real” Patrol 117 because the city government still has to construct a building for the P50 million communications equipment.
“We need a big area for the equipment and for its office space, which is the needed counterpart of the city government in order to avail of the gadgets,” Hawani said.
At present, Hawani’s office is located within the unfinished Executive Building while the Patrol 117 landline is positioned in the information desk at the ground floor of the City Mayor’s Office.
The Patrol 117 operations chief then requested that the public be reminded anew to use the emergency lines 117 responsibly and for parents to educate their children to do the same.
He confided, showing an October-November call log, that for the two months alone, out of the 837 calls received, only 29 were valid and 808 were classified as illegitimate or prank calls made mostly by children.
Of the 29 valid calls reported, shooting incident top the list of cases brought to the attention of Patrol 117 covering Pagadian City. Hold-up, vehicular accident, thefts and public disturbance were also listed.
Hawani also disclosed that of the 837 calls, 679 were answered and the response was made within the average response time of less than the seven-minute standard.
The city hall based Patrol 117, is a calling hub which can facilitate responses to calls within Pagadian City only, confirms Cruztelco exchange manager Anotonio Beniga when visited at his office.
He added that they assigned the 117 telephone number to City Hall for emergency purposes.
Aside from Patrol 117, other emergency numbers published in local newspapers are: 215 3830, 353-1522, Police 166 and Fire 160, Mobile nos. 0908-955-3238, 0927-715-3025 and radio transceiver VHF frequency 141.170 MHZ.
This paper tried to call Patrol 117 last Tuesday and a certain child answered the phone, identifying himself as the son of Osman Abbas, a security guard assigned at the City Hall premises.
The child said: “Ako ang mitubag kay naa pay ka estorya akoang papa.”
REPORT BY JONG CADION & MICHAEL MEDINA
Added to this is the sad truth, according to Patrol 117 Operation Officer Asuri Hawani, that the long-advertised emergency number is not yet operational due to the lack of space and equipment, thus defeating the purpose of the said facility.
117, referred to by its official name as the Emergency Network Philippines (ENP), is the national emergency telephone number for the Philippines and managed solely by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The project, it was learned, costs DILG some P80 million, aimed to foster crime prevention and quick response to emergency situations.
For the “real” Patrol 117, calls originating from Pagadian City, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are supposed to be re-routed to Zamboanga City, the 117 call center for Region 9, since when a 117 call is made from a mobile phone, the call is automatically routed to the nearest 117 call center.
However, the DILG explains that 117 as an emergency number is not registered on most mobile phone models or SIM cards and that is why that at times calls are re-routed to other regional call centers in the event of an emergency.
Hawani said the Patrol 117 was only a title in reference to their office, which is designated to receive calls in urgent situations, disasters and emergency and provide quick assistance to concerned government agencies.
The landline is being manned by only two operators, identified as Florencio de la Peña and Elena Lahagan, who work on a ten-hour shift basis, 24 hours a day.
Lately, complaints about the said telephone number started to crop up after residents who rang 117 claimed a child keeps talking to them and sometimes the receiver would inform that they are calling a party line in Cebu.
A resident who wanted to remain anonymous recalled to this paper that last Oct. 11, when Columban father Michael Sinnott was reported to have been forcibly taken by armed men to Sta. Lucia, she dialed 117 using her cellular phone but the receiver on the other line started to reply with lewd remarks.
Hawani said he felt sorry for the said experience but went on to say that they failed to activate the “real” Patrol 117 because the city government still has to construct a building for the P50 million communications equipment.
“We need a big area for the equipment and for its office space, which is the needed counterpart of the city government in order to avail of the gadgets,” Hawani said.
At present, Hawani’s office is located within the unfinished Executive Building while the Patrol 117 landline is positioned in the information desk at the ground floor of the City Mayor’s Office.
The Patrol 117 operations chief then requested that the public be reminded anew to use the emergency lines 117 responsibly and for parents to educate their children to do the same.
He confided, showing an October-November call log, that for the two months alone, out of the 837 calls received, only 29 were valid and 808 were classified as illegitimate or prank calls made mostly by children.
Of the 29 valid calls reported, shooting incident top the list of cases brought to the attention of Patrol 117 covering Pagadian City. Hold-up, vehicular accident, thefts and public disturbance were also listed.
Hawani also disclosed that of the 837 calls, 679 were answered and the response was made within the average response time of less than the seven-minute standard.
The city hall based Patrol 117, is a calling hub which can facilitate responses to calls within Pagadian City only, confirms Cruztelco exchange manager Anotonio Beniga when visited at his office.
He added that they assigned the 117 telephone number to City Hall for emergency purposes.
Aside from Patrol 117, other emergency numbers published in local newspapers are: 215 3830, 353-1522, Police 166 and Fire 160, Mobile nos. 0908-955-3238, 0927-715-3025 and radio transceiver VHF frequency 141.170 MHZ.
This paper tried to call Patrol 117 last Tuesday and a certain child answered the phone, identifying himself as the son of Osman Abbas, a security guard assigned at the City Hall premises.
The child said: “Ako ang mitubag kay naa pay ka estorya akoang papa.”
REPORT BY JONG CADION & MICHAEL MEDINA