Senate launches in Cebu online platform for public to reach senators

CEBU, Philippines —x

The Office of the Senate Public Assistance Office launched the “Senate Assist” in the city, an online platform that caters to those that need assistance from the Senators and even other government agencies and the private sector.

Cebu is Senate Assist’s first stop in the Visayas after its launch last August in Tuguegarao then Pampanga and Pasay.

This platform mainly caters to medical and social assistance to Filipinos, regardless of status although more priority is given to the under-privileged.

Instead of going to Manila to ask for help from the Senate, one can just do it online via assist.senate.gov.ph.

“We are here in Cebu to primarily share to the Cebuanos and other kababayans in the Visayas about the Senate Assist.The Senate Assist is an online platform that gives opportunity for our kababayans to request assistance from the Senate without going all the way to Manila,” said Senate spokesperson Arnel Jose Banas yesterday.

Although they mainly cater to those confined in government hospitals, Banas said that they will also accommodate those in private hospitals, especially that there are some areas that do not have government hospitals available yet.

For social assistance, one can avail legal, educational, transportation, as well as burial assistance.

So far, only 10 percent of the received requests for assistance through the said online platform are from the Visayas following its introduction by the Senate Spouses’ Foundation Incorporated.

“Mas mapapadali po ang mga pangangailangan natin at makita natin ang follow-up anong nangyayari, hindi tayo maghihintay sa wala,” said Senate President Chiz Escudero’s wife, celebrity Heart Evangelista-Escudero.

Aside from the launching of the Senate Assist here, the fashion icon, Heart, alongside Kat Pimentel, wife of Senator Kojo and Nancy Dela Rosa, wife of Senator Bato, and Senator Raffy Tulfo’s daughter, Maricel Tulfo-Tungol, also initiated a gift-giving to 30 Cebuano children mostly with cancer and heart diseases through the Christmas in November.

The kids selected by the Kythe Foundation gets to enjoy shopping at SM’s Department store together with Heart and the rest.

SM allocated P5 thousand for each kid, but the Senate Spouses Foundation covered the excess for those that have chosen items with higher prizes.

Aside from toys, however, there were some parents who opted to get diapers, clothes and other basic necessities for their kids.