By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora | Philippine News Agency
The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) is proposing a new regional framework to improve the well-being of the aging population in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
At the ASEAN High-Level Forum on Unlocking the Silver Economy held on June 4, NCSC Commissioner Camilo Gudmalin said the ASEAN Framework on Unlocking the Silver Economy will help address the challenge of viewing ageing as a vulnerability and transform it into a “longevity asset” by ensuring that older persons can contribute productively to socio-economic development.
“The ASEAN Framework on Unlocking the Silver Economy transforms ageing from a welfare problem into an economic and social opportunity,” an ASEAN statement quoted him as saying in a statement released on Wednesday.
“Anchored on a vision of security, dignity, and purpose, guided by principles of equity, inclusion, and innovation, it delivers through six pillars,” Gudmalin added.
The six pillars of the proposal are 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,” Gudmalin said.
The framework is designed through a “realistic, but ambitious” three-phase implementation approach, which includes foundation-building as the first phase from 2026 to 2028, he added.
During Phase 1, countries are expected to assess their national aging situation, build data systems, and pilot age-friendly communities.
The second phase, which will run from 2028 to 2031, focuses on system strengthening, during which care workers will be certified, health financing will be expanded, and age-friendly infrastructure will be developed.
Gudmalin said Phase 3 will focus on innovation and integration and is expected to be implemented from 2031 to 2035.
“[Under this phase] 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,” he said.
Once the draft framework is refined and 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.
The ASEAN High-Level Forum on Unlocking the Silver Economy was led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia.
