The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday underscored the importance of a people-centered, inclusive, and data-driven approach to regional development as it opened the 1st Regional Consultation with Sectoral Bodies on the Baselining and Target-Setting for the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Results Framework at the Admiral Hotel in Malate, Manila.

Delivering the opening remarks on behalf of Undersecretary Adonis Sulit of the DSWD’s Policy and Planning Group (PPG), Assistant Secretary for Social Protection Policy Rodolfo Santos emphasized that the development of the ASCC Results Framework is a crucial step in translating ASEAN’s shared vision into measurable and meaningful outcomes.

Sulit serves as the Philippine leader for the Senior Officials Committee for the ASCC or (SOCA) Senior Officials Committee for ASCC.

“As ASEAN advances the implementation of the ASCC strategic plan, the development of the ASCC results framework stands as a critical foundation for translating our collective vision into measurable and meaningful outcomes,” Santos said in his keynote message.

Santos stressed that sustained consultation among sectoral bodies and stakeholders is vital to ensure that key performance indicators (KPIs), baselines, and targets are not only technically sound, but also responsive to the diverse realities and capacities of ASEAN member states.

Citing preliminary regional data, Santos noted that more than 70 socio-cultural measures are currently being tracked across ASEAN, covering key areas such as social protection coverage to youth development programs, and initiatives to strengthen climate resilience.

He said unemployment among the youth in the region remains at an average of 12 percent, pointing to the need for well-defined KPIs to guide targeted interventions in skills development, employability, and innovation.

In terms of social protection, the DSWD official said that while over 50 million individuals across ASEAN benefit from social protection programs, significant gaps persist, particularly among older persons, persons with disabilities (PWDs), informal workers, and children in rural and marginalized communities.

Santos said ASEAN’s growing exposure to climate-related disasters, which affect an estimated 27 million people annually, reinforces the need to integrate resilience indicators into the ASCC Results Framework to ensure that socio-cultural development strategies are sustainable and future-ready.

“This first regional consultation provides an important platform for dialogue and convergence. Over the course of our discussions, we seek to refine and finalize the key performance indicators that will underpin the implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the ASCC Strategic Plan,” he said.

The DSWD official likewise expressed appreciation to the Government of Australia, through the Australia for ASEAN Futures Initiative, for supporting the consultation, saying the partnership strengthens ASEAN’s capacity to plan, track, and deliver results for its people.

“At the conclusion of this consultation, we look forward to concrete and practical outputs—a structured KPI matrix, clear arrangements for baseline data collection, and a shared understanding of roles, responsibilities, methodologies, and timelines,” he said.

The regional consultation is a two-day event which gathers onsite and online participants from ASEAN member states and ASCC sectoral bodies. (PNA)