“While our Civil Partnership bill is still pending in Congress, other LGUs can now emulate the good example of Quezon City, where the Right-to-Care Card (RTC) and Special Power of Attorney (SPA) on medical decisions address one of the important provisions of House Bill 1015. Such can be realized through local ordinances and local budgets,” House Deputy Minority Leader Bernadette Herrera said.
Herrera lauded the pro-LGBTQIA+ initiatives of Quezon City.
The veteran legislator said QC’s RTC card and SPA to medical decisions espouse the right to protect our loved ones and address one of the critical provisions of House Bill 1015.
In Section 9, “Benefits and Protections of Civil Partnership” of Herrera’s HB 1015, “Civil partnership couples shall have the authority to give consent to any medical treatment on behalf of his/her civil partner under a serious medical condition and allow equal visitation rights in hospitals and detention facilities for civil partnership couples and ensure their right in making medical and burial decisions.”
“The QC Right-To-Care Card and its enabling Special Power of Attorney on medical decisions serve as benchmarks and prototypes on how cities and municipalities nationwide can improve the quality of life of their LGBTQIA+ residents and transients.”
“Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and her administration have confirmed they are at the forefront of advancing LGBTQIA+ rights and welfare. The QC Right-To-Care Card and its enabling Special Power of Attorney on medical decisions serve as benchmarks and prototypes on how cities and municipalities nationwide can improve the quality of life of their LGBTQIA+ residents and transients,” the Bagong Henerasyon solon stressed.
“The 5% mandatory annual budget for Gender And Development (GAD) can be the funding source of the replicated programs,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
Herrera, also a staunch supporter of the proposed SOGIE Equality Law, also urged PhilHealth to develop its own LGBTQIA+ health package for the sector’s specialized healthcare needs.
“PhilHealth can also use the GAD 5% budget mandate as a funding source of their LGBTQIA+ health package, especially for poor and low-income households.”
“PhilHealth can also use the GAD 5% budget mandate as a funding source of their LGBTQIA+ health package, especially for poor and low-income households,” she said.
Herrera’s Civil Partnership Bill is different from a civil union because it is a partnership for specific civil purposes, rights, responsibilities, and obligations—in much the same way there are such relationships between business partners, except that a bill is a contract between the partners on specific civil rights such as spousal support, inheritance, child support and custody, and adoption.
She emphasized that the relationships of LGBTQIA+ couples are not religious or faith issues.
“They are human rights and legal issues,” Herrera noted.
Faith and religious matters are binding only to those who adhere to those beliefs and are members of their religion or congregation. They do not apply to those who are outside of those belief systems.
“Lahat tayo’y may karapatang piliin ang taong nais nating makasama’t alagaan bilang civil partners,” she concluded.
