ASEAN Social Security Leaders to Sign Sustainability Pledge in Palawan

Social security leaders from across Southeast Asia will gather in Palawan on March 20-22 for a landmark sustainability pledge signing, led by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) as the 2024-2025 chair of the ASEAN Social Security Association (ASSA).

“This gathering represents a defining moment for social security in our region,” said GSIS President and ASSA Chairman Jose Arnulfo ‘Wick’ Veloso.

“With combined assets exceeding USD1 trillion, ASEAN social security institutions have tremendous power to shape sustainable development across our economies,” he added.

High-level delegations from Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Singapore will join Philippine social security officials from the Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Employees Compensation Commission (ECC), and GSIS.

Cabinet secretaries from the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Tourism, Finance, and Foreign Affairs have also been invited to participate in the historic summit.

The sustainability pledge will establish a new framework for social security in the ASEAN region, recognizing the critical link between social protection, economic prosperity, and environmental health.

“Palawan shows how economic growth and environmental stewardship can reinforce rather than oppose each other,” Veloso said.

“These same principles apply to how social security systems must balance current needs and long-term sustainability,” he added.

ASSA Secretary General Joseph Philip Andres highlighted the summit’s collaborative nature.

“The gathering brings together diverse perspectives from across ASEAN to address shared challenges,” Andres said.

“By working together, we can achieve far more than any single institution acting alone,” he added.

For more information about the ASSA Sustainability Summit, visit https://assa.gsis.gov.ph.

Founded in 1998, the ASEAN Social Security Association (ASSA) comprises social security institutions across Southeast Asia. It aims to promote social security development in member countries through information exchange, best practices sharing, and collaborative research.