Believing in the right to care
Who would have thought that a simple act of care such as visiting your other half in the hospital—a place where love and care should be shown and lived—would expose a big problem in our country’s healthcare system?
It was at the onset of the pandemic when I learned of Anril Tiatco and Alonzo Gabriel’s story. Despite being Alonzo’s partner for 15 years, Anril was not recognized as Alonzo’s family by hospitals and funeral services. Anril had to secure authorization papers and Special Power of Attorney to have a legal right to make medical decisions for his partner—an additional hurdle that should have been the least of their concerns. Anyone who reads Anril’s posts at the time will feel the same pain he felt: being recognized only as a friend and not someone who can take care of Alonzo.
Meet Sir Anril Tiatco and his late partner, Alonzo Gabriel. Sadly, their story can happen to every LGBTQ couple in hospitals, thanks to the law.
— The Right to Care Card (@RightToCareCard) April 18, 2024
Now we can change that narrative. Introducing the@QCGov's The Right to Care Card. Watch the video to know more. #RightToCareCard pic.twitter.com/qZZ6o0gU5f
A year later, I stumbled upon a viral post about a doctor who noticed someone crying outside a hospital room. It turned out to be the patient’s partner. He couldn’t take care of his other half or even be with him because it is against the law: They are not legally married nor is he the next of kin.
Then we learned that a high school friend of one of our creative leaders had passed away from cancer. The late friend’s partner tried to raise funds to cover the bulk of the expenses, but since they are in a lesbian relationship and not legally married, she couldn’t have access to her late partner’s money.
These stories are not isolated. In different parts of the country, so many Filipinos are unable to take care of the person they love the most—something that most people don’t even think twice about—just because they are queer.
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I am currently in a loving relationship with Paul, and I would assume that I am the person who knows him the most—his hopes, dreams, and beliefs. As Paul’s partner, I should be able to decide on his behalf, especially during medical emergencies. Sadly, this right is reserved for family members, and I cannot be legally married to Paul in the Philippines. In the eyes of Philippine law, in a very urgent life-and-death situation, it would be as if I was just a stranger to Paul—yet another partner helpless outside the hospital room.
In 2022, I thought of ways to try to lessen this burden. I have been in advertising for most of my working life, and I felt it helped me find my purpose as a creative: to use this huge platform to give back. As an openly gay man, I felt I should contribute to the progress of the LGBTQIA+ community.
MullenLowe TREYNA, a dream agency of mine, took me under their wing. They allow me to be myself and live my truth—they support and celebrate the girls, gays, and they’s. We feel safe, seen, and heard.
All came to fruition when we got to finally launch a collective dream, Right to Care, together with the village MullenLowe TREYNA, Quezon City’s Gender and Development Council (QC GAD), QC’s City Legal Department, and QC Mayor Joy Belmonte. It’s a tiny plastic card that contains everything we need to finally be able to take care of our loved ones in times of medical emergencies. It even gives us the right to visit our beloved in the hospital room. It is now as powerful as a wedding ring.
Right to Care started as a project called “We are Family, Too” in 2021, which involved creating a film showing the discrimination experienced by queer couples. We planned on lobbying the idea to HMOs and hospitals, but the project languished as we realized it wasn’t as easy changing the policies of private institutions.
We parked the idea for a year, tweaking it until the idea of Special Power of Attorney came in. By 2022, the project transformed into “Empower of Attorney.” We partnered with a law firm to draft the actual Special Power of Attorney to be used in the card. It was in early 2023 that we met the people from QC GAD.
At the QC Pride Convene, where Adrian presented the idea for the Right to Care card.
We were very fortunate to work with an entity whose principles and values align with the team and the agency, who wanted to drive the progress of LGBTQIA+ rights.
Now, with Right to Care, Quezon City can put a stop to the multiple layers of hardships LGBTQIA+ individuals might experience. It closes the gap and sparks more conversations, especially the ongoing demand for the SOGIE Equality Bill, which has been languishing for the last twenty years.
There has been a huge clamor from LGBTQIA+ people and allies from different cities to implement Right to Care. The Department of Health declared national support and hoped for it to be implemented nationwide. The Commission on Human Rights commended the initiative and called it a monumental step in achieving genuine equality within the city. It even caught the attention of Senator Risa Hontiveros, Vice Ganda, and other public figures.
It also opens doors for more queer-inclusive policies and initiatives. This June, for the first time, Quezon City introduced the monumental Strategic Trans Health Access to Resources and Services or QC STARS program, which addresses the specific needs of the transgender community.
I am reminded of something a couple said to me during the orientation at QC: “‘Di namin inakala na dadatnan namin ‘tong moment na magkaka-rights kami sa isa’t-isa. Para bang dininig ‘yung pinaglalaban ng LGBT community, kahit sa aspeto lang na ‘to.”
The Right to Care Card was launched during Quezon City’s Pride PH festival—the biggest in Asia, attended by approximately 110,000 LGBTQIA+ community members and allies.
When dreams become reality, the next dream would be for the entire Philippines to finally choose progress so that Paul and I, and the rest of my community, will have the right to take care of each other, in sickness and in health.