Article by:
Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The country’s modernized Unified 911 system can now detect and filter AI-generated and automated prank calls, a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) official said Tuesday.
The upgrade ensures emergency operators and responders can focus on Filipinos who genuinely need urgent help.
Emergency 911 National Office Executive Director Francis Fajardo said the system can recognize patterns linked to AI-generated calls and robo-dialing used for prank or misleading reports.
"May nakarating sa akin na nag-report na AI-generated. Ngayon, sa Unified 911, with our modernized system, nafi-filter natin ‘yang mga robo-calls at AI-generated (Someone has come up to me reporting that it's AI-generated. Now, with Unified 911, with our modernized system, we can filter out those robo-calls and AI-generated)," Fajardo said during the DILG Kapihan.
"Meron kasi tayo sa system natin na nava-validate natin kung 'yan ay AI-generated. Sa system, nakikita na natin 'yan (We have something in our system that can validate whether it is AI-generated. In the system, we can see that)," he added.
Data from the National Call Center showed prank and abandoned calls dropped by 98.3 percent since the modernized system launched in September 2025. However, suspicious or non-emergency calls still consume capacity and may delay assistance to legitimate callers.
The DILG said prank and automated calls can clog emergency lines, delaying response to accidents, crimes, fires, and medical emergencies.
To protect the hotline, the system now tracks numbers that repeatedly place suspicious or non-emergency calls. Numbers showing a pattern of prank reporting are automatically assigned lower priority, letting operators focus on verified emergencies.
Fajardo reminded the public that every unnecessary call to 911 risks delaying help for someone whose life may be in danger.
"Iwasan na po natin tumawag kung hindi naman emergency. By the time na kayo na ang mangailangan ng tulong, baka hindi kayo agad masagot (Let's avoid calling unless it's an emergency. By the time you need help, you may not get an answer right away)," he said
The DILG reiterated that Unified 911 is strictly for emergencies and urged the public to use the hotline responsibly so responders can reach those in danger without delay. (PNA)
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