DSWD, NCSC present proposed ASEAN Framework on Unlocking Silver Economy
Manila, Philippines, June 08, 2026 / TRAVELINDEX / The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) supervised agency, the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) presented a proposed framework to improve the condition and aging population in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
At the last day of ASEAN High-Level Forum on Unlocking the Silver Economy on Thursday (June 4), NCSC Commissioner Camilo Gudmalin discussed how the ASEAN Framework on Unlocking the Silver Economy can help address the challenges of seeing ageing as a vulnerability and turning it into a longevity asset by ensuring that older persons will be able to continue to productively contribute towards socio-economic development.
The two-day forum is conducted by the DSWD in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
“The ASEAN Framework on Unlocking the Silver Economy transforms ageing from a welfare problem into an economic and social opportunity. Anchored on a vision of security, dignity, and purpose, guided by principles of equity, inclusion, and innovation, it delivers through six pillars,” Commissioner Gudmalin explained.
The NCSC Commissioner said that the six pillars are represented by the acronym S.I.L.V.E.R, which stands for: Social protection and income security; Integrated health and care systems; Lifelong learning and productive engagement; Value creation and silver industries; Enabling age-friendly communities; and Regional cooperation.
“By 2035, this Framework promises no older person in poverty, ageing in place with dignity, productive engagement across the lifespan, ASEAN global leadership in longevity, and intergenerational solidarity,” Commissioner Gudmalin pointed out.
To ensure that the pillars will be effectively implemented in the ASEAN region, the NCSC Commissioner designed a “realistic, but ambitious” three-phase implementation approach.
For Phase 1, which is Foundation Building, Commissioner Gudmalin said that the phase will start in 2026 until 2028. “We assess the national aging situation. We build data systems. We run pilot age-friendly communities, and we train caregivers,” the NCSC noted.
Phase 2 of the implementation entails system strengthening that will run from 2028 to 2031. “We scale long-term care systems. We certify care workers. We expand health financing. We build age-friendly infrastructures,” Commissioner Gudmalin said for the second phase.
Phase 3 focuses on innovation and integration which will happen from 2031 to 2035. “We launch ASEAN-wide Age Tech ecosystems. We enable cross-border silver investments. We fully integrate ageing into ASEAN development planning. This is not a dream. This is a roadmap,” NCSC Commissioner Gudmalin added.
To monitor the implementation of the framework, the ASEAN will develop a regional dashboard on ageing, a biennial progress reporting mechanism, and a scorecard that tracks pensions, care access, digital inclusion, employment, gender equity, and disability inclusion.
Once the draft framework is refined and a concurrence from the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD) is secured, it will be submitted for further deliberation, refinement, and consensus-building among ASEAN Member States before its full adoption.
