Explainer design of "Right to Care" card on Good Design Awards' website. Screenshot from Good Design Awards' website

MANILA — A card that bestows Filipino queer couples the legal right to make decisions in healthcare-related situations earned an international recognition on Wednesday.

'Anyare sa bill?': Hontiveros asks Villanueva why SOGIE bill remains in 'limbo'

Out of 5,773 entries from 1,142 companies, the "Right to Care" card from MullenLowe TREYNA ad agency under Quezon City gender and development (GAD) office was among the 1,579 designs chosen in 2024 Good Design Awards.

The entries which came from 22 countries, including Japan, undergone a rigorous evaluation in line with the theme "Brave Attitude, Organic Design".

"We have just received the wonderful news that our collective reality, Right To Care, has WON the prestigious Good Design Award Japan!," MullenLowe TREYNA senior art director Adrian de Guzman announced on X.

"Right to Care" card design. Facebook/The Right to Care Card

De Guzman also rejoiced the jury's comment, which emphasized how the card helps giving LGBTQIA+ couples "the right to care for the people they love".

"The Right to Care card launched by Quezon City in the Philippines is groundbreaking that it gives LGBTQ partners the right to care for the person they love," the evaluation said, with the context that the absence of same sex marriage in the country puts Filipino queer couples in medical emergency dilemmas.

As Pride 2024 opens, LGBT community promises 'show of force' to pass SOGIESC Equality Bill

Chiz says SOGIE bill must be amended first to get Senate approval

"The new norm of allowing LGBTQ partners to make medical decisions for each other in a medical emergency (as married couples do) has had a huge impact on promoting fairness in society, and this point was evaluated highly," the jury added.

For the past years, majority in the Philippine government and the church expressed strong opposition against same sex marriage. The bill that aims to criminalize discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics (SOGIESC) also struggle to get passed.

Due to this, many queer couples suffer difficulties in terms of conjugal rights, especially in healthcare. 

With this background, the Quezon City Government started the "Right to Care" card in 2023 that enables the cardholder to have a crucial decision and consent to any type of medical treatment for their partners, through a special power of attorney (SPA).

The card also lets its holder to choose a particular health care provider, or to decide whether they would want to admit or discharge from medical facilities.

On its Facebook page named "The Right to Care Card", it was stated that interested Filipinos can attend an orientation for the RTC. QC's GAD office facilities the distribution of the cards with unique QR codes that will link to a validated SPA contract.