Islamabad:The Asia-Pacific Social Protection (APSP) Week 2026, organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) from October 6 to 8 in Manila, Philippines, brought together government leaders, policymakers, practitioners, development partners and social protection experts to advance inclusive, resilient and sustainable social protection systems.
Chairperson BISP Senator Rubina Khalid participated in the High-Level Roundtable on Skills, Employment and Social Protection: 'Building Resilience Pathways for Learning, Work and Security.' She highlighted BISP's evolving role beyond cash transfers, particularly its efforts to connect social protection with market-relevant skills, digital opportunities and employment for young people and women.
Senator Rubina Khalid said Pakistan's large youth population requires skills aligned with changing market demands and said that BISP is working with the ADB to scale up skills development within the social protection framework.
Highlighting the Benazir Hunarmand Programme (BHP), she said the programme was launched by the President and approved by the BISP Board as a regular programme to respond to evolving skills and employment challenges. She explained that training is based on market-driven trades identified through national assessments, while success is measured by employability and income generation rather than certification alone.
The roundtable included Carmela Torres, Undersecretary, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippines; Fakafanua Paunga, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tonga; Krishna Bahadur Raut, Secretary, Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security, Nepal; and Farzana Sharmin, State Minister, Ministry of Social Welfare, Bangladesh. The closing remarks were delivered by Ms. Ayako Inagaki, Deputy Director General, ADB.
Later, Senator Rubina Khalid participated in a Panel Discussion at the ADB Adaptive Social Protection Forum, held under the broader APSP Week theme, 'Boosting Resilience to Face Polycrises and Megatrends.' She highlighted Pakistan's experience in developing an adaptive and shock-responsive social protection system to protect vulnerable families from climate and economic shocks.
Speaking during the discussion, Senator Rubina Khalid stated, 'Pakistan contributes very little to global carbon emissions, yet its vulnerable communities bear a disproportionate burden of climate change. The international community must step up support for Pakistan's most vulnerable families by strengthening climate resilience, expanding adaptive social protection and providing practical assistance to help communities withstand future climate shocks.'
She highlighted BISP's experience in responding to climate-related emergencies, stating that during the 2022 floods, 2.7 million families received PKR 70 billion in emergency cash assistance. She also said that BISP's National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) covers more than 40 million households and has been made dynamic, with climate-related questions incorporated into the survey to better identify households exposed to climate risks.
The panel featured Brenda Alik-Heine, Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs, Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands; Datuk Norma Mansor, Professor Emeritus and Director, Wellbeing Research Centre, University Malaya, Malaysia; and Samir Vannmali, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, World Food Programme (WFP), Thailand.
Chairperson BISP Senator Rubina Khalid also met with Rex Gatchalian, Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippines, during her visit to Manila.
The meeting focused on Adaptive Social Protection, out-of-school children, skill development and career pathways and opportunities for cooperation in technical education and skills development. Senator Rubina Khalid also presented a souvenir of Pakistan to Mr. Rex Gatchalian as a gesture of goodwill.
Dr. Asima Rabbani, Ambassador of Pakistan to the Philippines and DG NSER/CCT BISP Dr. Asim Ijaz were also present during the meeting.