We're pretty sure it wasn't just us who felt a bit envious when Quezon City introduced the Right To Care (RTC) Card in June 2023—a notarized digital card with a special power of attorney (SPA) that allows LGBTQIA+ community members to make decisions for their partners, even without the legal recognition of being a spouse or next of kin.
According to its official Facebook page, the RTC card grants queer partners the Special Power of Attorney or the authority to make important choices for each other, like "selecting healthcare providers, authorizing admission or discharge from medical facilities, accessing and managing personal medical information, and even making decisions about treatments and procedures."
The best part? This privilege could soon extend beyond Quezon City, with a chance of becoming available nationwide in the Philippines. Exciting, right?
If this bill becomes law, it would mean LGBTQIA+ individuals across the Philippines would have a legal avenue to protect their partners and ensure they have a say in each other's medical decisions, no matter where they are in the country. Hopefully, this effort will gain nationwide traction, paving the way for even more inclusive policies that honor and respect the rights of queer couples.
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Akbayan Party List Representative Perci Cendaña introduced this bill to Congress to address one of the challenges that queer couples experience: a comprehensive access to healthcare. Together with Adrian de Guzman, one of the program's key proponents, they envision the possibility of expanding the initiative nationwide.
"'Yung may biglang nag-file to automatically mainstream the impact of the card is beyond words. Same pa rin naman ang vision—hope it opens more doors for conversations about the LGBTQIA+ community finally getting the rights we have been longing for," de Guzman said. "And sana isa siyang collective effort to pull each other up, including our other efforts like the SOGIESC Bill, and sana ma-receive din ang program ng QC about Trans Health Care to the national level," he added.
According to ABS-CBN News, around 800 couples in Quezon City have already registered for the RTC card, and about 423 healthcare providers have agreed to recognize it. If this bill passes, many more queer couples outside Quezon City could access this important protection.
Currently, many queer couples face challenges in caring for each other because Philippine law does not recognize same-sex marriage. This bill could help remove those barriers, giving queer couples the ability to support their loved ones free from legal limitations.
