Cendaña consults Right to Care bill with DOH GAD

By Nash Villena, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
January 14, 2026

(Photo courtesy: Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña/Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines — Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña shared on Wednesday, January 14, his office’s recent consultation with the Department of Health – Gender and Development (DOH-GAD) on the possible institutionalization of the Right to Care (RTC) bill within health facilities across the country.

“Nagpapatulong tayo na i-recognize ng mga ospital ang SPAs ng mga LGBTQI couples, para mag-decide sa kalusugan ng kanilang partners,” Cendaña wrote on a post.

(We sought the help of the health department for the hospitals’ recognition of LGBTQI couples’ Special Power of Attorney (SPA) to decide on the health of their partners.)

“Sana mas marami pang national agencies ang maging supportive sa ating causes,” he added.

(Hopefully, there will be more national agencies that will come to support our cause.)

An expanded version of the existing RTC policy in Quezon City since 2023, the House bill that Cendaña submitted in November last year aims to enable queer couples, through the SPA, to make medical decisions for their partners—a right commonly granted to the patient’s family or spouse of the opposite sex. Same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in the Philippines.

The Quezon City government website describes its RTC card program as a recognition of the decision of the cardholders “to agree, refuse, or withdraw consent for any type of medical care for their partners, including treatment, procedures, tests, and prescriptions.”

“The initiative is part of the city’s solidarity and fight towards creating an equal, inclusive, and respectful community for every QCitizen, regardless of gender,” they added.