Social security leaders from Southeast Asia will meet in Palawan March 20-22 for a sustainability pledge signing led by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) as 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 one trillion dollars, ASEAN social security institutions have tremendous power to shape sustainable development across our economies.”
High-level delegations from Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore will join Philippine Social Security Association officials from the Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Home Development Mutual Fund, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Employees Compensation Commission and GSIS.
Cabinet secretaries from the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Tourism, Finance and Foreign Affairs have been invited to the summit.
The sustainability pledge will establish a new framework for social security in the ASEAN region, acknowledging the 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.”
ASSA Secretary General Joseph Philip Andres emphasized the collaborative aspect of the summit. “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 aFor more information about the ASSA Sustainability Summit, visit https://assa.gsis.gov.ph.
The ASEAN Social Security Association was established in 1998 comprising social security institutions in the region. ASSA promotes the development of social security in member countries through information exchange, best practices sharing and collaborative research.
