Clio Health Innovators: Adrian De Guzman, Associate Creative Director, MullenLowe TREYNA
Adrian De Guzman is an ACD at MullenLowe TREYNA in the Philippines. He spearheaded the breakthrough "Right to Care Card" in partnership with the Quezon City Gender and Development Council. He believes the right to love whoever you want is as basic and fundamental as the right to good healthcare.
How you bring creativity and innovation to your work
The healthcare system of the Philippines is prejudiced, and has been structurally apathetic to the needs of the LGBTQ community. To come up with innovative solutions, it takes a village. And sometimes, that village is made up of passionate creatives, insightful legal teams, medical experts and a city government that actually cares about its constituents. Innovation comes from recognizing a very real problem and working to solve that problem.
About a recent project you're proud of
LGBTQ partners have zero conjugal rights in majority-Catholic Philippines. This discrimination can mean life or death in emergency medical sitiuations, because hospitals only recognize legal spouses or next-of-kin. That's why, along with the Quezon City local government and various legal teams, we are proud to present to the world our collective revelation: the "Right to Care Card."
The card carries a Special Power of Attorney—a legal document spelling out healthcare wishes, financial provisions and other directives that legally-married couples take for granted. Immediately after the launch, the initiative has become a LAW, making all 423 healthcare providers in the city of 3.1 million, to honor the card.
What you're most excited about right now in the health space
What we have is an equality issue that affects all sectors. But discovering how healthcare specifically exposes various inequalities presents an eye-opening opportunity to explore more solutions in the future. Healthcare is an exciting route for us to take in the fight for LGBTQ, because it means we can make visible problems and solutions that weren’t apparent before.
What it means to you to be selected as a Clio Health Innovator
It's a huge honor to represent the queer community. It’s always been my purpose as an advertising creative to find ways to uplift, empower and give back. It’s also a point of pride for the agency, MullenLowe TREYNA, and of course, a win for the Philippines, as it is a first in our country. Down the road, I realized that It's really not about the validation. It's about opening up conversations and leaving a mark of representation.
"Adrian has been in a loving queer relationship with Paul. I've witnessed their love for each other through the years. With this fact, one should believe that they both should be able to decide on behalf of each other during medical emergencies but sadly, it is illegal in the Philippines, only the spouse or next-of-kin are allowed to do that. This is because there are no marriage rights for queer couples in the country. Adrian's vital role in the success of the Right To Care can be attributed to his set of principles and values, and what he believes in—a world where the marginalized can care and be cared for, in sickness and in health."—-Roman Carlo Olivarez, ECD, MullenLowe TREYNA
Click here to see all of this year's Clio Health Innovators
