Love knows no bounds until you hit the ER doors. Suddenly, your years of partnership don’t count for much because you’re just a ‘partner’ on paper, and Pinoy queer couples know this too painfully well. The Right to Care Card finally breaks down that invisible wall—a long-overdue acknowledgment that queer couples’ love carries weight just as much as everyone else’s.

Bridging the Gap: What’s the Right to Care Card?

In 2023, during Pride Month, Quezon City marked a historic first by launching the Right to Care Card, which allows queer couples to make crucial healthcare decisions for their partners, including choosing a physician, managing hospital admissions, and accessing medical records during emergencies.

Mayor Joy Belmonte, a proud ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, stressed that this initiative reflects Quezon City’s enduring commitment to champion equality, especially in times of crisis.

“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,” Belmonte said.

And it didn’t stop there. San Juan City passed Ordinance No. 16 in 2025, institutionalizing the Right to Care Card, followed by similar measures in Iloilo City, Dasmariñas City, and Parañaque City this year.

How to secure your card?

Quezon City currently has established online instructions for the Right to Care Card, with cities like Iloilo, San Juan, Parañaque, and Dasmariñas expected to share their own application details soon. The following steps outline how to apply online in Quezon City:

• Log in to your QC E-Services account
• Choose ‘QC Right to Care Card’ from the list of services and click ‘Apply for Right to Care Card.’
• Fill in the personal details for you and your partner, then click ‘Save Application.’
• Attend the orientation on the date indicated in your registration confirmation. QC residents must present a QC ID; non-residents must provide one valid ID.
• You and your partner will be requested to sign a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) in the presence of the legal counsel after the orientation.

Why inclusive healthcare is for everyone

Before the pitchforks come out or this gets filed under ‘special treatment’—which it definitely isn’t—hear me out. The Right to Care Card exists because Pinoy queer couples currently lack the legal standing to make medical decisions for one another—a challenge that stems from the absence of same-sex marriage in the country.

For married straight couples, the ‘right to care’ is a given. They can walk into a hospital and be recognized as the immediate family without anyone questioning their authority to make decisions—all because the law already recognizes their bond.

As more cities institutionalize the Right to Care Card, it’s a testament to the fact that progress should keep moving forward until every Filipino is protected, regardless of their status, their gender, or whom they choose to love.

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