Members and allies of the LGBTQ community participate in the 2023 Manila Pride March themed “Samo’t saring Lakas, Sama-sama sa Landas” in Circuit Makati on June 24, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Members and allies of the LGBTQ community participate in the 2023 Manila Pride March themed “Samo’t saring Lakas, Sama-sama sa Landas” in Circuit Makati on June 24, 2023. The march aims  to provide safe, informed, intersectional, educational, and empowering spaces for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

PRIDE 2023

Josiah Eleazar Antonio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173079625921220230624-manila-pride-march-MT-14.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Members and allies of the LGBTQ community participate in the 2023 Manila Pride March themed “Samo’t saring Lakas, Sama-sama sa Landas” in Circuit Makati on June 24, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Members and allies of the LGBTQ community participate in the 2023 Manila Pride March themed “Samo’t saring Lakas, Sama-sama sa Landas” in Circuit Makati on June 24, 2023. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — A bill allowing queer couples to make medical decisions for their partners through the Right To Care (RTC) card program was filed in Congress on Monday.</p><p>According to a document obtained by ABS-CBN News on Tuesday, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña filed the bill, making the Department of Health the facilitator of the application for the health care proxies.</p><p>The &quot;health care agent&quot; or the partner will have 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.</p><p>With the bill, health care providers are obliged to comply with the decisions of the proxy, but they are not liable for their decisions.  </p><p>The Right To Care card program was first introduced in Quezon City in 2023. It uses the Special Power of Attorney, describing it &quot;as though you held the power of a civil marriage contract.&quot;</p><p>In an earlier report by ABS-CBN News, the Quezon City government said it has tallied 800 couples registered for the RTC card, while around 423 healthcare providers have already committed to accepting the RTC cards.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/6/19/the-birth-and-progress-of-quezon-citys-right-to-care-card-2332">800 queer couples in line, 423 healthcare providers: The birth and progress of Quezon City&#x27;s &#x27;Right To Care&#x27; card</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/10/16/qc-govts-right-to-care-card-for-queer-couple-wins-good-design-award-2111">QC gov&#x27;t&#x27;s &#x27;right to care&#x27; card for queer couples wins Good Design Award<br/></a></div><p>Adrian de Guzman, one of the people behind the RTC card program, welcomed the progress of their project hoping for more inclusive laws legislated.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;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,&quot; de Guzman said.</p><p>&quot;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,&quot; he added.</p><p>The SOGIESC Equality Bill has been filed in Congress in various iterations and has languished there for more than 20 years.</p><p>Opponents of the bill — including Sen. Joel Villanueva and his father, religious leader and CIBAC party-list Rep. Eddie Villanueva — worry that passage of the bill would create &quot;special rights&quot; for LGBTQIA+ people and threaten &quot;social order.&quot;</p><p>Sen. Villanueva last year suggested a more &quot;holistic&quot; anti-discrimination bill to benefit all marginalized groups.</p><p>RELATED VIDEO:</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ma4MfyPUGvQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A bill allowing queer couples to make medical decisions for their partners through the Right To Care (RTC) card program was filed in Congress on Monday.</p>

A bill allowing queer couples to make medical decisions for their partners through the Right To Care (RTC) card program was filed in Congress on Monday.

'Right To Care Act': Bill allowing queer couples to make medical decisions for their partners filed

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Lifestyle

Sports

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Wellness

'Right To Care Act': Bill allowing queer couples to make medical decisions for their partners filed

Josiah Eleazar Antonio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 05, 2024 04:46 PM PHT

Read More:

LGBT

Right To Care Card

Right To Care Act

health

Congress

bill

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.