San Juan Recognizes Right to Care Card for LGBTQIA+ Couples

(SPOT.ph) Imagine rushing your partner to the hospital, only to be told you’re not “family” enough to make a medical decision. That’s the grim reality many LGBTQIA+ couples in the Philippines still face—but not in San Juan City, at least not anymore.

If you haven’t heard of it, the Right to Care Card is tied to a notarized legal document and comes with a physical card that includes your name, photo, and a QR code linking to the official legal document. With it, you can access your partner’s medical records, sign waivers, approve or refuse treatment, and make other critical decisions—even if you’re not legally married.

Implementation guidelines haven’t been released yet, so we don’t know the exact steps for San Juan City just yet (we'll update this article as soon as we get word!). However, if it follows Quezon City’s lead—and chances are it will—here’s what the process might look like:

You and your partner must be at least 18 years old and at least one of you should be a San Juan resident. 

Head to the Gender and Development Office at San Juan City Hall to register and bring three photocopies of a valid ID each (preferably with your San Juan address).

Then comes the paperwork: You’ll need to draft and notarize a document that gives your partner the right to make medical decisions for you. 

Once that’s done, submit everything to the GAD Office for review. You’ll probably sit through a short orientation about your rights and how the card works. After that, you’ll get your shiny new Right to Care Card—with a scannable QR code to prove that it’s legit at the hospital.