On 8 October 2025, Dr. Ben Quiñones met with Dr. Lope B. Santos III, the Secretary of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) of the Philippines, to brief him on his role as plenary resource speaker in the 2025 GSEF Global Forum on Social and Solidarity Economy, which will be held in Bordeaux, France on October 29-31, 2025.
NAPC is under the Office of the Philippine President. This is a high-level national commission where the Philippine President serves as the Chairperson.
In this meeting between Dr. Quiñones and Dr. Santos, a number of key pointers for collaboration between ASSEC and NAPC were discussed.
One of the important items discussed was the lead role of NAPC in organizing the 2026 ASEAN SDG-SSE Forum. Secretary Santos re-affirmed his commitment for NAPC to take the lead in organizing the 2026 ASEAN SDG-SSE Forum to be conducted in the Philippines in conjunction with the 2026 ASEAN Summit when Philippines assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship. The 2026 ASEAN SDG-SSE Forum is an opportune time to endorse the inclusion of SSE in the development policy agenda of ASEAN member countries.
Dr. Quiñones also explored the prospects of NAPC serving as host of 2027 GSEF Global Forum on Social and Solidarity Economy in Manila, thereby providing the opportunity for ASSEC partners In Asia to exchange knowledge and experiences with SSE practitioners and advocates from around the world. Secretary Santos said that he will discuss with Ms. Aude Saldana, Secretary General of GSEF, the requirements for hosting the 2027 GSEF.