Short answer. In the Philippines, call 911 for any emergency: police, fire or medical. Executive Order No. 56 of 25 May 2018 institutionalized 911 as the Nationwide Emergency Hotline Number, replacing 117 1. For non-emergency government concerns, the Contact Center ng Bayan answers on 8888 2.
Which numbers should I know?
| Number | Use | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 911 | Nationwide emergency hotline (police, fire, medical) | 1 |
| 8888 | Contact Center ng Bayan (government concerns, non-emergency) | 2 |
Executive Order No. 56 states: "The number "911" is hereby institutionalized as the Nationwide Emergency Hotline Number" 1. It replaced the former 117 hotline. The national call center sits under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and an Emergency 911 National Office replaced the Patrol 117 Development Office 1.
Which agencies handle disasters?
| Agency | Role | Website |
|---|---|---|
| National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) / Office of Civil Defense (OCD) | Leads disaster management; the OCD is the NDRRMC secretariat | ocd.gov.ph |
| PAGASA (Department of Science and Technology) | Weather and tropical cyclone warnings, including the wind signals 3 | bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph |
| PHIVOLCS (Department of Science and Technology) | Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis, including volcano alert levels 4 | www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph |
The meaning of the PAGASA and PHIVOLCS warning levels is on the alerts page.
Why are NDRRMC hotline numbers not listed?
NDRRMC operations center landline numbers circulate in press lists, but the ndrrmc.gov.ph and ocd.gov.ph websites block automated reading, so Phaenyx could not check them at the source. They are left out rather than risk publishing a wrong number. Phaenyx has not confirmed an official source for local numbers; your city or municipal disaster office may be able to provide them.
How do I keep these numbers available in a disaster?
The OCD Go Bag list includes mobile phones, power banks and chargers, as well as important documents in a waterproof container 5. Write 911 and your local numbers on paper too, in case your phone runs out of battery. For which documents to keep and how, see /guides/important-documents; for a household contact plan, see /guides/family-plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is 117 still the emergency number in the Philippines?
No. Executive Order No. 56 of 2018 made 911 the nationwide emergency hotline, replacing 117 1.
What is 8888?
The government's Contact Center ng Bayan, for non-emergency concerns 2.
Who issues typhoon and volcano warnings?
PAGASA issues Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals 3; PHIVOLCS issues volcano Alert Levels 4.
Sources
- Office of the President (text via LawPhil) — Executive Order No. 56, s. 2018 – Institutionalizing the 911 Nationwide Emergency Hotline — https://lawphil.net/executive/execord/eo2018/eo_56_2018.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Government of the Philippines — GOV.PH official portal (temporary 'coming soon' page naming the Contact Center ng Bayan 8888) — https://www.gov.ph/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
- PAGASA (DOST) — Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal — https://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/learning-tools/tropical-cyclone-wind-signal (accessed 2026-10-20)
- PHIVOLCS (DOST) — Volcano Alert Levels — https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/volcano-alert-levels/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
- PTV News (relaying an Office of Civil Defense Facebook post of 24 July 2021) — What's in a 'go bag'? — https://ptvnews.ph/whats-in-a-go-bag/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
Turn this into action
Your plan for Philippines, worked out for your household.
- Water, food and equipment counted for each person and pet
- The nuclear plants and zones around your home
- Phaenyx Safe: one tap to tell your people you are safe
Sources
- Office of the President (text via LawPhil) · Executive Order No. 56, s. 2018 – Institutionalizing the 911 Nationwide Emergency Hotline checked 2026-10-20
- Government of the Philippines · GOV.PH official portal (temporary 'coming soon' page naming the Contact Center ng Bayan 8888) checked 2026-10-20
- PAGASA (DOST) · Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal checked 2026-10-20
- PHIVOLCS (DOST) · Volcano Alert Levels checked 2026-10-20
- PTV News (relaying an Office of Civil Defense Facebook post of 24 July 2021) · What's in a 'go bag'? checked 2026-10-20