A bill was filed before the House of Representatives, seeking to grant queer couples the right to decide on the medical decisions of their partners.

Under the Right To Care (RTC) card program filed by Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña,, it makes the Department of Health the facilitator of the application when it comes to health care proxies.

It is then that the “health care agent” or in this case the ‘partner’ will be given the authority to make decisions for their partners, get records and information for informed decisions, and priority to decide on their behalf unless decided otherwise.

Courtesy: AFP

Under the bill, health care providers are given an obligation to comply with the decisions of the proxy, but they are not liable for their decisions.

The said Right To Care card program was first launched in Quezon City in 2023. 

It carries a Special Power of Attorney, saying it is “as though you held the power of a civil marriage contract.”