About ICOM Philippines
ICOM Philippines serves as the National Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in the Philippines. As an intermediary between ICOM members and the General Secretariat, its primary function is to manage the interests of ICOM within the country. The committee aims to contribute to the implementation of ICOM's programs and Strategic Plan while ensuring effective communication and coordination among members. Through its mission, ICOM Philippines plays a crucial role in promoting the objectives and values of ICOM within the Philippine cultural landscape.
Our History
ICOM Philippines was established as a response to the growing need for a national committee to represent the interests of ICOM members in the country. It is an organization duly incorporated at the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) of the Philippines as of December 14, 2011, under registration number CN201121315; and is duly registered at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) of the Philippines with TIN 008-175-657. Since then, we have been working to promote and support the museum sector in the Philippines, through advocacy, capacity building, and networking initiatives.
ICOM Philippines has experienced a remarkable increase in membership in the past years, now numbering in the hundreds. This growth underscores our commitment to fostering a vibrant community of museum professionals and enthusiasts across the Philippines. As the leading conduit for promoting best practices in museum management and preservation, ICOM Philippines serves as a vital platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and advocacy within the cultural sector.
Our Mission
ICOM Philippines is committed to promoting and supporting the museum sector in the Philippines. Our mission is to provide a platform for museums and museum professionals to connect, learn, and collaborate. We believe that museums play a vital role in society, and we work to ensure that they are valued, supported, and sustained for future generations.
Meet the ICOM Philippines Board
ICOM Philippines board for 2025 to 2028 is led by dedicated professionals who are committed to promoting and supporting the museum sector in the Philippines.
President
AUDREY DAWN M. TOMADA
Audrey Dawn M. Tomada has served as Head of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) – Cebu since January 2022. Prior to this, she led the National Museum of the Philippines – Bohol from 2019 to 2022, where she played a key role in the restoration and reconstruction of heritage churches and National Cultural Treasures across the province that were severely damaged by the 7.2-magnitude Bohol earthquake in 2013.
She is a founding member of the Central Visayas Association of Museums, Inc. (CVAM), one of the regional museum associations under the National Committee on Museums (NCOM) of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). She currently serves as Head of the Executive Council of NCOM for the 2026–2028 term and is also a member of the Cebu Provincial Heritage Sites Commission.
Ms. Tomada is likewise a member of the Institute of Conservation (IIC), reflecting her professional commitment to the preservation and stewardship of cultural heritage.
Vice President
JORELL M. LEGASPI
Jorell Legaspi is Senior Director for Arts and Culture at Ayala Foundation, where he leads the strategic development of its expanding arts and culture portfolio, including Ayala Museum, the Filipinas Heritage Library, and a new contemporary arts center in Circuit Makati. He previously served as Deputy Director-General for Museums of the National Museum of the Philippines, overseeing curatorial development, operations, public programming, research, and collections care across the national network.
Legaspi has over a decade of experience in the cultural and creative industries in the Middle East, working across museums, publishing, and brand communications. He was part of the founding management team of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar and later headed publications at the Museum of Islamic Art. His international engagements include projects with SFMOMA, Art D’Égypte, and the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He holds an MA in Museum and Gallery Practice from University College London–Qatar, and his research focuses on artist-run initiatives, creative placemaking, and urban revitalization in the Philippines.
Treasurer
FR. ISIDRO “DIDOY” D. ABAÑO
Rev. Fr. Isidro Abano is a former secretary-general of the University of Santo Tomas. He teaches the cultural heritage of the church, Christian archaeology, and the history of Christian art in the faculty of sacred theology. He was the first dean of the college of fine arts and design and the catalyst for the cultural heritage studies program in the UST graduate school. His extensive training includes exhibition design in Sotheby’s, New York, and Cultural Heritage of the Church – higher studies – at Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome. He is involved in various national an international museum organizations such as University Museums and Collections under the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
Board Member
ANNA MARIE BAUTISTA
Anna is an interior designer, professional teacher, museum/cultural worker, and is currently an Assoc. Professor at the UST College of Fine Arts & Design (CFAD). She was the former Officer-In-Charge Assoc. Dean, UST CFAD (2000); Assistant Director, UST Center for Conservation of Cultural Properties in the Tropics (2003-2007); Assistant Director, UST Museum (2007-2017); Culture and Arts Consultant-San Fernando City, Pampanga (2015); Committee Secretary-National Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts, National Commission on Culture and the Arts (2014-2016); and Vice President External Affairs, Council of Interior Design Educators (2017-2022).
Her 34 years of interior design practice, 32 years of teaching experience, 25 years in cultural heritage engagements, and 18 years in exhibition design and curation led her to develop the A.C.H.E. (Art, Culture, Heritage, Education) convergence framework – a holistic approach for educators teaching arts and culture. She has also mounted exhibitions for the UST Museum as a guest curator.
Board Member
PAMELA CASTRILLO
Pamela del Rosario Castrillo is a seasoned museum professional and researcher deeply engaged with the cultural landscape of Mindanao. Her work includes roles as Curator for the Davao Museum of History and Ethnography and Technical Adviser for Museo Dabawenyo, where she has contributed to the development of exhibitions on the region's culture and arts.
Her dedication to heritage is further demonstrated through her authorship of "Treasures of the Davao Museum" (2006) and her work as Lead Researcher for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) project, "Mapping the Museums in Mindanao." Currently, she is coordinating the development of a museum and heritage center at the Ateneo de Davao University.
Board Member
CECILLE GELICAME
Cecille L. Torrevillas-Gelicame holds a Master of Arts in Social Sciences from De La Salle University–Dasmariñas and is currently the Director/Head of the Museo Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (MBSP). She previously served as Director of Museo De La Salle, where she has been involved since its establishment in 2000, with work spanning curatorship, education and outreach, administration, and collections management. She earned her BA in Philippine Arts (Arts Management) from the University of the Philippines Manila and worked with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. She has attended and conducted numerous museum-related trainings and seminars in the Philippines and abroad, served as a member of the NCCA National Committee on Museums (NCOM), and engaged extensively with local governments nationwide through cultural mapping initiatives.
Board Member
APRILLE P. TIJAM
Aprille P. Tijam is Associate Director and Head of Exhibitions and Collections at Ayala Museum, a division of Ayala Foundation, Inc., where she has served since 2004. She oversees exhibitions, local and international loans, institutional partnerships, and long-term development planning, and manages the collections programs of both Ayala Museum and the BPI Art Collections. She was one of 12 international fellows of the Reimagining the British Museum-International Working Group (2023-2025).
With museum experience spanning education, exhibitions, public relations, and collections since 1994, Tijam has led and coordinated major international projects, including Philippine participation in the 57th Venice Biennale (2017), loans to the Museo del Prado, National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, and exhibitions in Mexico and Spain. She holds a BA in Philippine Arts from the University of the Philippines–Manila and leads collections-based learning and accessibility initiatives at Ayala Museum. Her research on the Fernando Zóbel Collection has been supported by international grants and resulted in the exhibition and publication Finding Zóbel Prints (2025). An active ICOM member, she serves on the ICOM Philippines Board and the Board of Trustees of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation, and has received numerous international fellowships and training grants in museum and cultural heritage practice.