The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) introduced the Asean Framework on Unlocking the Silver Economy at a regional forum on June 4, 2026, to transform population aging into an economic opportunity.
NCSC Commissioner Camilo Gudmalin outlined the framework’s six strategic pillars—Social Protection, Health Systems, Lifelong Learning, Silver Industries, Age-Friendly Communities, and Regional Cooperation—to ensure dignity and productivity for older persons by 2035.
The proposal utilizes a three-phase implementation roadmap from 2026 to 2035 and includes a regional dashboard and biennial reporting mechanism to monitor progress on pension coverage, healthcare access, and digital inclusion.
THE National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) presented the Asean Framework on Unlocking the Silver Economy, a proposed regional policy initiative aimed at transforming population aging into an economic opportunity across Southeast Asia, during the Asean High-Level Forum on Unlocking the Silver Economy on June 4, 2026.
The NCSC, a supervised agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, introduced the framework to shift aging from a welfare concern into a driver of inclusive economic growth by strengthening the role of older persons in socioeconomic development.
Speaking during the final day of the two-day forum, NCSC Commissioner Camilo Gudmalin outlined the proposal, which anchors regional aging policy on security, dignity and productivity for older persons across Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member states.
Framework vision
“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,” Gudmalin said.
The DSWD organized the forum 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.
Six strategic pillars
Gudmalin said the framework anchors on six pillars represented by the acronym Silver: 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.
He said the vision ensures that by 2035, no older person in the region will live in poverty and aging will bring dignity and continued productive engagement.
“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.
Implementation phases
The NCSC proposed a three-phase approach to support implementation from 2026 to 2035. The first phase, Foundation Building, will run from 2026 to 2028 and will focus on assessing national aging situations, establishing data systems, piloting age-friendly communities and training caregivers. The second phase, System Strengthening, will run from 2028 to 2031 to scale up long-term care systems, certify care workers, expand health financing and develop age-friendly infrastructure. The final phase, Innovation and Integration, will run from 2031 to 2035, when Asean member states are expected to develop age technology ecosystems, encourage cross-border investments in silver industries and fully integrate aging concerns into regional development planning.
“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,” Gudmalin said.
Progress monitoring
A regional aging dashboard, a biennial reporting mechanism and a scorecard will monitor progress, tracking indicators such as pension coverage, access to care services, digital inclusion, employment, gender equity and disability inclusion.
The proposed framework will undergo further refinement and consultation among Asean member states after securing concurrence from the Asean Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development before formal adoption. / DPC