MANILA, Philippines, July 18, 2016 – Leading telecommunications and digital services provider PLDT, together with subsidiaries Smart and ePLDT, is in full cooperation with the current administration in its plans to beef up the country’s nationwide emergency hotline “911”.

PLDT, Smart, and ePLDT fully cooperates with the current administration for a nationwide emergency hotline with a stronger “911” system. Signing from left were: PLDT and Smart President and CEO Manuel V Pangilinan, DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno, FCP Chairman Jose Pardo, DICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, and Globe Telecom President and CEO Ernest Cu.

In a recent signing ceremony with other telcos and providers, PLDT and Smart, through its President and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, has agreed to change the existing Patrol 117 number to the new nationwide emergency hotline and help in the transition of the existing system to the new “911” system for implementation.

ePLDT was also a signatory represented by its President and CEO, and PLDT EVP Eric R. Alberto.

To take effect by August 1, the agreement covers the transition to make “117” and “911” accessible to call for the general public through each of the party’s respective networks, led by the different government agencies including the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). Other signing agencies were the Foundation for Crime Prevention (FCP), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).

The signing also covers the agreement of all parties to recommend to the President for the issuance of a new Executive Order transferring the authority of the current Patrol “117” Commission to a new legal entity to handle the “911” system.