Informal workers like vegetable and fruit vendors do not have social protection benefits in the Philippines. —PNA PHOTO BY JOAN BONDOC
Southeast Asian social protection systems have an erratic record and ignore informal work
Social protection refers to a set of policies and programs designed to reduce poverty, inequality, vulnerability, and social exclusion, and to mitigate economic shocks by ensuring income security, access to essential services (e.g., health, education, and housing), and support for life’s hazards (e.g., unemployment, sickness, disability, and old age). In Southeast Asia, social protection systems have a spotty and erratic record in...
