San Juan City launches Right To Care Card

MANILA, Philippines — San Juan Mayor Francisco Javier M. Zamora spearheaded the launching of the San Juan Right To Care Card on June 17, 2026, as part of the celebration of San Juan City’s 19th Cityhood Anniversary.

The Right To Care Card is the city’s implementation of its Healthcare Proxy Ordinance, which 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 and applicable laws.

The initiative seeks to strengthen patient autonomy and ensure that healthcare preferences and directives are respected when individuals are unable to communicate or make medical decisions for themselves.

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Beginning June 17, the City Government officially issued Right To Care Cards to qualified applicants who completed 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 in partnership with the City Legal Office and the City Health Department.

“Today is a special day for San Juan City. As we celebrate our 19th Cityhood Anniversary, we also celebrate another milestone in our continuing effort to build a city that is not only progressive and modern, but also compassionate, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of all its residents. Today, we officially launch the Right To Care Card Program of San Juan City,” Mayor Zamora stated.

He continued, “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.”

READ: Aug. 30 declared holiday in San Juan City

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Actress and news anchor Jervi “KaladKaren” Wrightson attended the launch and congratulated the city for introducing the Right To Care Program. She said:

“The Right To Care Program is very close to my heart because I am a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and also an LGBTQIA+ rights advocate. And I believe that beyond launching the Right To Care Program here in San Juan, we are also launching and recognizing things that are even more fundamental. These are the recognition of love, dignity, trust, and human autonomy.”

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She added: “There are so many members of the LGBTQIA+ community, modern families, single parents, and people living together in the same household who, because of this Right To Care Program, will be given the right to make decisions for themselves. While we have not yet achieved the equality we continue to fight for, this is a good step toward what we want: providing equal rights for everyone. Once again, congratulations to the City of San Juan. Your local government is truly outstanding and progressive.”

The launch program featured the awarding and distribution of cards to successful applicants. A ceremonial printing of the Right To Care Cards was also conducted for the first batch of beneficiaries, consisting of eleven (11) LGBT couples and four (4) heterosexual couples.

Life partners Jose Daniel Bolaños and Nikko Joshua Alindada shared why they chose to designate each other as healthcare proxies:

“This is a huge step because we have been together constantly for the past three years. It is important for me to have a say in the decisions that will be made for Dan if he is hospitalized. I am the first person by his side, and hopefully I will be the first person able to make decisions for him, especially since we live far from his parents. It would be difficult if they are far away and I am unable to do anything for him.”

High school best friends for 28 years, Fernando Fernando and Perfecto Posia, were also among the first to avail themselves of the benefits of the Right To Care Card.

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“My family is very busy. Fortunately, he (Posia) is able to accompany me in situations like these. Wherever we go, we are still together,” said Fernando, a person with a disability (PWD), who designated Posia as his healthcare proxy.