ASEAN social security leaders to unveil groundbreaking sustainability initiative in Palawan

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

“This gathering represents a defining moment for social security in our region,” GSIS President and ASSA Chairman Jose Arnulfo “Wick” Veloso said. “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, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, the Home Development Mutual Fund, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, the Employees Compensation Commission, and the GSIS.

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

The sustainability pledge will establish a new framework for social security in the ASEAN region, acknowledging 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.”

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 acting alone.”

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

About ASSA: The ASEAN Social Security Association was established in 1998 comprising social security institutions in the region. ASSA aims to promote the development of social security in member countries through information exchange, best practices’ sharing and collaborative research.