From Activism to Legislation: The Decades-Long Fight Behind the Right to Care Act
The clock on the hospital wall ticked mercilessly as Miguel clutched his partner Carlo’s hand. The doctors needed decisions about emergency surgery, but the staff wouldn’t recognize Miguel’s right to be there. “Family only,” they insisted, despite the couple’s 15 years together. It was the longest night of Miguel’s life, a night too many Filipino LGBTQ+ couples have experienced.
Stories like these fuel the urgency behind the Philippines’ proposed Right to Care Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that could mark a seismic shift in how our country recognizes queer relationships.
A First Step Toward Recognition
Filed in November 2024 by Party-list representative Percival Cendana, the bill aims to protect LGBTQ+ couples from discrimination in healthcare settings. At its heart is a simple yet revolutionary concept: allowing patients to designate their partners through a special power of attorney to make critical health decisions when they become incapacitated.
“For 25 years, we’ve been depriving LGBTQ people of their basic fundamental rights,” Cendana told reporters, his voice carrying the weight of decades of activism. As someone who helped draft the Philippines’ first anti-discrimination bill back in 2000, Cendana understands the significance of this moment.
The bill includes provisions for a “right to care” card that all health facilities would be required to recognize or face penalties. It’s a tangible symbol of relationship validity in a country where same-sex partnerships have no legal standing.
Quezon City Leads the Way
While the national legislation works its way through committee debates, Quezon City has already implemented its own pioneering program. Mayor Joy Belmonte launched the Right to Care Card initiative in 2023, empowering resident queer couples to make healthcare decisions for their partners.
“We want all of our residents, regardless of sexual orientation, to be with their partners in critical moments,” Mayor Belmonte explained, addressing reports of LGBTQ+ community members prohibited from making crucial decisions when their partners were hospitalized.
The Quezon City initiative has gained international recognition, even winning a Good Design Award in October 2024.
The Long Road to Equality
The Right to Care Act represents more than just hospital visitation rights, it symbolizes a potential crack in the wall that has blocked LGBTQ+ rights legislation for a quarter century. The SOGIE Equality Bill, aimed at providing fair access to basic services and protection, has stalled repeatedly amid opposition from religious groups and conservative lawmakers.
Cendana’s hope is simple but profound: “I hope that, unlike the SOGIE Equality Bill, something as basic as right to care will not be met with too much opposition, because it is inhumane to deprive couples of the right to take care of each other.”
For couples like Miguel and Carlo, this legislation isn’t about politics, it’s about dignity in their most vulnerable moments. And after decades of fighting, that dignity might finally be within reach.
