To strengthen patient autonomy by ensuring healthcare preferences and directives are respected when individuals are unable to communicate or make medical decisions for themselves, San Juan City passed and is now implementing its Healthcare Proxy Ordinance.
This local policy establishes the ‘Right To Care’ card that allows qualified individuals to designate a trusted person to make healthcare decisions on their behalf in accordance with a duly executed Special Power of Attorney (SPA) and applicable laws.
Ordinance No. 16 mandates all public and private healthcare facilities within San Juan to recognize the ‘Right to Care’ card.
With the country still without marriage equality, this is beneficial for LGBTQIA+ people in relationships, as it allows them to make medical decisions on behalf of their partners.
According to San Juan mayor Francisco Javier M. Zamora: “The Right to Care card is not just a piece of plastic. It is peace of mind. It is dignity. It is autonomy. It is empowerment. And it is another step toward a more compassionate, inclusive, and rights-based City of San Juan.”
‘Right To Care’ cards are issued to qualified applicants who complete the city’s requirements, including registration and application, submission of documentary requirements, assessment and verification, and attendance at the mandatory orientation seminar conducted by the Gender and Development (GAD) Office along with the City Legal Office and the City Health Department.
San Juan is the second city in the country to adopt such a policy, following Quezon City’s lead in 2023.
