Residents and visitors in Morong, Rizal, and the municipality of Mambajao in Camiguin Island can now make emergency calls using their favorite messaging apps and social media platforms. This upgrade is part of a modernization effort to streamline emergency response and improve public safety in these areas.
Mambajao, a third-class municipality in Northern Mindanao, activated its local 911 emergency hotline last February 27, making it the first next-gen 911-enabled command center in the region. Through this initiative, all calls in Mambajao are now directed to the command center and picked up by responders in seconds.
Its response time at the place of call has also been reduced to just three to five or seven minutes.
Meanwhile, Next Generation Advanced (NGA) 911 Philippines, the country’s leading provider of next-generation emergency communication systems, activated its secure, omnichannel platform called NEXiS Message in these two local government units (LGUs).
The new system allows emergency calls to be placed not only by traditional voice but also through text messages, video calls, group chats and voice calls via popular apps such as Facebook Messenger, with plans to include more messaging platforms soon.
Before this innovation, emergency response teams faced challenges monitoring multiple apps across different stations, which often led to fragmented communication and slower response times. Sharing sensitive details like names, addresses, and incident specifics over public channels also posed security risks due to the lack of proper cybersecurity protocols.
With NEXiS Message, LGUs now receive and manage all incoming messages through a single, unified platform, allowing responders to act quickly and efficiently. The system securely stores all shared photos, videos, and files related to emergency incidents, giving first responders richer information to handle situations better.
“Built on NGA 911’s robust cybersecurity protocols, messages sent through NEXiS are fully encrypted. This ensures that all information, including photos, videos and files shared by constituents, is protected,” NGA 911 Philippines’ Country Head Robert Llaguno explained.
Llaguno emphasized that the platform simplifies operations by eliminating the need for dedicated stations for each messaging app.
“All incoming communications coming through NEXiS Message are received and managed from a single interface. This also improves efficiency and response times,” he said.
The update also caters to citizens’ communication preferences, especially if they are more comfortable using social media rather than handheld devices to communicate.
“Citizens can now use their familiar messaging apps to report emergencies,” Llaguno added.
NEXiS Message is a cloud-native system that easily integrates with both legacy and modern communication technologies. It supports mapping, voice recording, video, SMS, and multimedia messaging. Beyond connectivity, it promotes inter-agency collaboration and streamlines crisis management by delivering information seamlessly across platforms.
“This is the future of emergency response enjoyed by developed countries worldwide, and it is now here in the Philippines,” Llaguno said.
NGA 911 Philippines, a subsidiary of NGA 911 LLC based in California, United States, continues to partner with LGUs and institutions nationwide to bring next-generation 911 technology to more communities, helping modernize and improve the country’s emergency response capabilities.
Last month, it was certified by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), a global standards body for emergency services in the United States, Canada and other parts of the world.
