Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), serving as chair of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) this year, has proposed a new cooperation framework aimed at strengthening the protection of family rights and welfare across the region.
The proposal was introduced at the online ASEAN Conference and Workshop on Family Development Network on May 13.
At the event, DSWD Assistant Secretary Janet Armas unveiled the ASEAN Family Development Network (ASEAN FamNet), an initiative designed to enhance regional cooperation and empower families through an inclusive, family-centred approach.
Armas said ASEAN FamNet is expected to become a regional platform for promoting policies, sharing experiences and strengthening collaboration among ASEAN member states in family development.
The initiative sets out four main goals: promoting regional cooperation among ASEAN countries; developing family-sensitive welfare policies and programmes; sharing research and best practices; and strengthening evidence-based policymaking on emerging family issues and trends.
The DSWD has also identified five strategic priorities under the framework, including strengthening family cohesion and quality of life, supporting parents in the digital era, promoting youth development and social participation, addressing emerging social challenges, and enhancing evidence-based policymaking through research and monitoring.
Armas stressed the need to address the impacts of rapid urbanisation and economic inequality on families, while developing more inclusive social protection and healthcare systems that reflect modern family structures, including single-parent and non-traditional households.
The framework also highlights the importance of equipping parents with digital skills to better protect children online and manage children’s screen time effectively.
Regarding youth development, the initiative aims to support young people’s transition into adulthood through leadership training, life skills development and stronger social adaptability.
The DSWD identified labour migration, demographic shifts and climate change as among the region’s most pressing challenges. Armas noted that natural disasters not only damage infrastructure but also disrupt family structures, making it essential to integrate family perspectives into disaster risk reduction and social protection policies.
ASEAN countries were also encouraged to adapt policies to ageing populations, declining birth rates and the growing number of transnational families separated by migration./.
