The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has urged member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to invest in a more inclusive and sustainable “silver economy” to address the needs of the region’s rapidly growing elderly population.
A Call for Collaborative Action
In a statement released Wednesday, June 3, 2026, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian emphasized the need to view population aging as an economic and social opportunity rather than a challenge. Speaking at the Asean High-Level Forum on Unlocking the Silver Economy, Gatchalian said the silver economy goes beyond serving a niche market for older persons. “It is about redesigning society itself to ensure that longevity becomes an economic and social advantage, not a source of exclusion,” he stated.
Gatchalian, who chairs the Asean Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), highlighted the region’s ongoing demographic shift. He noted that more than 14.8 percent of Asean’s population is projected to be aged 60 and above by 2030. By 2035, the number of senior citizens in the region is expected to reach 127 million.
Cross-Sector Collaboration Essential
The DSWD chief stressed that governments alone cannot build the silver economy and called for stronger collaboration among the private sector, academic institutions, civil society organizations, development partners, and older persons themselves. “The demographic future of our region demands cooperation across borders and across sectors,” Gatchalian said. He added that senior citizens should remain at the center of policymaking, not merely as beneficiaries but as active contributors to the development of programs and policies that affect them.
Addressing Vulnerabilities
While longer life expectancy is generally considered a positive development, Gatchalian noted that many older persons remain vulnerable to rising living costs, inadequate retirement savings, digital exclusion, and persistent gender inequalities. He also said Asean countries can build on existing cultural strengths, including strong family ties, community solidarity, and traditions of intergenerational support, while adapting to changing social and economic realities.
Planning Ahead
“Asean has a unique advantage. We are at a stage where many member states can plan ahead. We have the opportunity to build systems before crises fully emerge,” Gatchalian said. He added that the region must modernize these strengths while preserving them by combining technology with humanity, efficiency with dignity, and economic growth with social cohesion.
Promoting active aging through investments in the silver economy is among the DSWD’s priorities under its chairmanship of the 2026 Asean-ASCC Council.
