Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has expressed support for a proposed law that would allow Filipinos to formally designate healthcare proxies, aiming to close gaps in the country’s medical system and ensure patients’ wishes are respected.
Cayetano signed the committee report on Senate Bill No. 1985, or the proposed Healthcare Proxy Act, emphasizing the importance of reforms that allow patients to retain control over medical decisions, especially in critical situations.
“I haven’t seen a real shift in how we look at our health system, and part of improving it is making sure patients are heard even when they can no longer speak for themselves,” Cayetano said.
Originally filed as Senate Bill No. 1534 by Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros in November 2025, the measure was later sponsored in the plenary as Senate Bill No. 1985 under Committee Report No. 49, with Senator Loren Legarda as co-author and sponsor.
If enacted, the law would allow individuals to appoint a healthcare agent authorized to make medical decisions on their behalf if they become incapacitated. Notably, the designated proxy would not need to be a legally recognized family member, reflecting real-life caregiving arrangements where patients rely on trusted partners, friends, or companions.
Hospitals and healthcare providers would be required to recognize and honor decisions made by authorized proxies.
Lawmakers clarified that the measure does not aim to redefine legal family structures but to uphold patient dignity, consent, and autonomy in medical care.
Cayetano highlighted that caregiving relationships often extend beyond traditional definitions, underlining the need for legislation that mirrors these realities.