The Manila initiated regional conference completed successfully. Coinciding with the Philippines Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2026, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) faces a strategic imperative: to shift the narrative of poverty alleviation from traditional “social welfare” to inclusive economic integration.

The conference theme was “Navigating the Future: The Social and Solidarity Economy as a Driver of ASEAN Prosperity”, the conference served as the Philippines official launchpad for the ASEAN Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) SGD Roadmap (2026—2030). This initiative aligns with United Nations resolutions that recognize the SSE as a critical drive of inclusive and sustainable development.

Held as a two-day online event, the conference brought together over 200 top executives, policy leaders, ASEAN sectoral body representatives, and international SSE practitioners. The gathering successfully aligned regional stakeholders and mobilized commitments toward transformative change. The two-day event featured eight panel discussions led by subject matter experts who addressed the most critical dimensions of the SSE-SDG agenda. In total, the panels featured approximately 35 speakers representing more than 10 countries.

Overview of the Eight Panels

Panel 1 focused on Public, Private & Civil Society Partnership in Building the SSE Ecosystem, followed by Panel 2 which detailed the ASEAN SDG-SSE Roadmap 2026–2030: Components & Stakeholder Mobilization. Panel 3 explored the Achievements & Impact of Poverty Reduction Programs through various Country Experiences, while Panel 4 examined Innovations in Financing for Social and Solidarity Economy Entities.

Panel 5 addressed Conducive Public Policies for Strengthening the Social Solidarity Economy. Panel 6 discussed SSE, the SDGs, and the Care Economy, Drawing Connections for an Enabling Policy Environment. Panel 7 highlighted Innovations in Social Impact Assessment of SSE Entities, and the conference concluded with Panel 8 on the Way Forward: Future Direction of Partnerships in Advancing the ASEAN SSE-SDG Roadmap.

Panel 1 covers the session on Partnership in Building the SSE Ecosystem. This session was co-moderated by Ms. Aude Saldana, Secretary General of the Global Social and Solidarity Economy Forum (GSEF), and Mr. Young Kim, Executive Director of the Association of Korean Local Governments for Social Economy and Solidarity (SSEGOV). The featured panel speakers included Dr. Bayu Krisnamurthi from Indonesia, Ms. Nur Farah Ara from Malaysia, and Prof. Carlo S. Sagun from the Philippines.