ASEAN Member States have taken steps to expand social protection, especially after the adoption of the 2013 ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection. The pandemic pushed ASEAN governments to reassess and often reaffirm commitments to establish social protection and expand existing schemes with renewed vigour. Employer and business membership organizations (EBMOs) have a vital role in supporting social protection programmes, especially through funding, and thus should be meaningfully involved in system design and implementation.