FINALLY, IT HAS HAPPENED.

ASEAN senior curators and museologists met for the first time to discuss strategies and share their experiences earlier this year when the Philippines hosted the first Conference on comparative museology and Museography in ASEAN.

The participants discuss various aspects of Museology and presented country papers on the state of museum work in their respective countries. Work- shop occasioned close interaction while visits to local museums became case studies as well as learning experiences.

They discussed collection management, human resource development, museum programmes, marketing and education for the general public as well as regional and international cooperation. They noted a trend toward automation of documentation systems for collections,, that Singapore is the most advanced in museum technology via centralized automation systems, employing the latest including interactive multimedia displays and special effects; that universities in Thailand and the Philippines offered degree courses and programmes in Museology; that Indonesia encouraged museologists to travel abroad and take upgrading Courses while making sure that its museums met government requirements; that Malaysia made publications, research and acquisitions of materials a priority at national level.

But the most important discussions were on a projected ASEAN Museums Association. Designated as secretariat the Philippines was tasked to draw up the association's statutes.

The other Member Countries would provide the Philippines With copies of statutes of similar organizations for reference purposes. The conference delegates would form the core of the association; and then invite new members. This association would set up the standards of professionalism and form a study committee on accreditation.

Once formed, the projected ASEAN Museums Association is expected to set Closer linkages among all museums in the Region and represent the region in appropriate International forums. Vietnam will host the Second Conference which will address the professionalization of Museum Personnel.

Besides the envisioned Museum Association, an ASEAN Institute of Museology was also recommended to be set in order to attend to the lack of higher, specialized education in this field.