Real Talk

What You Need to Know About Quezon City’s Right to Care Card

by Alexa Villano
June 29, 2023

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte announced that they’ve launched the Right to Care Card for couples in the LGBTQ+ community.

The Filipino LGBTQIA+ community celebrated Pride Month last June 24 with two events in Quezon City and Makati. Before the kick-off of the Pride Event in Quezon City, Mayor Joy Belmonte announced that they’ve launched the Right to Care Card. This will empower queer couples to make medical decisions for their partners.

Moreover, the Quezon City Right to Care Card was made possible through the initiative of the creative communications agency MullenLowe TREYNA. Here’s what you need to know about Quezon City’s Right to Care Card.

What You Need to Know About Quezon City's Right to Care Card — Source: Mayor Joy Belmonte Twitter

Operational through the Special Power of Attorney

Belmonte said that the Right to Care Card will be operational through a Special Power of Attorney. The card will give queer couples the right to “recognize the decision of the cardholders, and to agree, refuse, or withdraw consent of any type of medical care for their partners including treatment, procedures, tests, and prescriptions.”

“There have been reports of LGBTQIA+ community members who were prohibited from making crucial decisions when their partners were admitted to intensive care units of hospitals,” Belmonte said in a statement.

“We want all of our residents, regardless of sexual orientation, to be with their partners in critical moments. And we are taking this important step to assure the rainbow community that they are cared for, recognized, and valued in Quezon City.”

Hospitals and healthcare facilities in the country only recognize legal spouses’ or next of kin’s decisions. And this card will change all of that for the queer community.

Right to Care Card — Source: Mayor Joy Belmonte Twitter

First hospitals to recognize the Care Card

Among the hospitals announced to implement the card include the Quezon City General Hospital, Novaliches District Hospital, and Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital. The city government will be talking to private hospitals to help in implementing the card.

What the card contains

The card will contain a QR code. This will direct the user to the actual and notarized version of the SPA document. Provisions of the SPA indicate privileges authorized by the partner. These include choosing a physician, the right to choose a health care center or hospital, disclosure of medical and personal information, and other medical concerns.

How to register for the Right to Care Card

Couples from the LGBTQIA+ community can go to the Quezon CIty Gender and Development (GAD) office to register and fill up forms they will need to have notarized. The Quezon City Legal Team will then verify the data given. After the validation, physical calls with unique QR codes will be handed. And this will contain the digital copy of the SPA contract.

Those who sign up will need to undergo seminars. This is in order to be aware of the rights and benefits as well as information and legal aspects of the card.

Good news for the community

The Right to Care Card is the latest good news for the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s possible that the duplication of the card in other local government units will follow.