Makati City, March 5 (AseanAll) — Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministers endorsed 10 documents for annotation at the 35th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council Meeting, which concluded on March 5, 2026.
In a post-meeting press briefing in Makati City, Gatchalian said, “All those documents will revolve around the RISE. Making sure that all those documents coincide with Resilient families, Inclusive development, Smart and empowered youth, and Environmentally sound and sustainable resources.”
“So lahat ‘yan iikot lang dun sa apat na tema na prayoridad ng ating Pangulo (President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.),” Gatchalian added.
The DSWD, through its Chairship of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Pillar, unveiled on Monday the “RISE ASEAN” agenda to underscore its commitment to strengthening family resilience, empowering young people, and advancing inclusive development for marginalized and vulnerable communities across the region.
The “RISE ASEAN” agenda pushes forward “a truly ‘One ASEAN, One Response’ region, and is aligned with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, which reinforces the shared aspiration for a people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN.
Gatchalian said the ministers are looking into transforming ASEAN’s disaster response by adopting the Manila-ASEAN Strategic Protocol for Emergency and Comprehensive Transformation (Manila-ASPECT) Framework.
