In a province stretching across 39 municipalities and two cities, Quezon Governor Helen Tan has found an unlikely but effective governance tool—the group chat.
In an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on May 9, Tan said she maintains multiple chat groups covering every dimension of provincial operations, from hospital patient navigation to sectoral concerns involving women, farmers, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.
“Ang dami kong chat group,” she said, describing a communications web that keeps her directly connected to field staff, satellite office personnel, and community representatives across the entire province.
The setup ensures that concerns from the ground reach the governor without passing through layers of bureaucracy, allowing for faster decisions and faster responses.
“Pagka ang usapin ay sektoral, lahat ng sektoral po. Pagka po ang usapin ay tungkol sa kababaihan, I have a chat group po ng mga kababaihan,” she said.
Tan said the direct line of communication is especially critical when constituents need urgent assistance, including hospital referrals and medical navigation.
“Gusto ko lang i-share, ‘yung navigation po ng patients or any problems ng constituent namin, kasama po ako doon kasi mas mabilis I think ‘yung action ‘pag ako po ‘yung may alam, at nasasagot ko po siya,” she said.
The governor added that the system operates around the clock—underscoring that for Quezon’s 41 towns, the line to the capitol is never closed. “And that’s 24/7 po,” she said.
