Right to care ordinance passed

TACLOBAN CITY — The Northern Samar provincial board has passed an ordinance allowing an adult to legally designate a trusted person, who is neither a blood relative nor legal spouse, to make medical decisions on their behalf.

The Right to Care Ordinance was approved on 10 September, during the board’s regular session, making Northern Samar the first province in Eastern Visayas to enact local legislation allowing a “care proxy” to approve or refuse life-saving treatment if a patient is unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate.

The provincial government described the ordinance as a “significant step toward a more inclusive, compassionate, and people-centered healthcare system” that protects residents’ right to have their healthcare preferences heard, represented and respected.

The measure could be particularly meaningful for families whose loved ones work or live away from home, as well as for solo parents, persons with disabilities, live-in partners, LGBTQIA+ individuals, senior citizens and other nontraditional families and vulnerable sectors, the provincial government said.

Board member Emil Ongchuan II, the ordinance’s proponent, said the measure underwent public hearings and consultations with stakeholders, sectoral representatives, healthcare workers, civil society organizations and other concerned groups.

Ongchuan said allowing individuals to designate a trusted person provides families and healthcare providers with clearer guidance on their healthcare preferences during critical situations, particularly medical emergencies when a patient can no longer communicate or make decisions.