Emergency Numbers in the Philippines

A top priority to consider before travelling to any country is whom to contact when inevitable emergencies occur.

Most emergency numbers in the Philippines may be reached for free from payphone booths, landlines, and mobile phones, although mobile phone accessibility depends on the network provider. In general, the numbers 112 and 117 may be dialed from any telephone in the country as part of a nationwide medical and police emergency service. To call specifically for fire assistance, one may dial 757 or 116.

In the Philippines, only one city, Davao, has a special emergency team where one can call 911 for all types of emergencies. The number is accessible for free from any landline, payphone booth or mobile phone. This system is patterned after the US 911 emergency health service where the location of the caller can be easily traced through a unique code that is also found in a resident's electric bill. There will be no need to give one's address to an operator as this will be taken care of using the system being used.

There are more numbers that accommodate emergencies, and most of them are run by private volunteer organizations. It is good to check within one's locality to know how to contact these organizations.