The Association of Secretaries and Administrative Professionals in Asia Pacific (ASA), formerly known as The Association of Secretaries in Asia (ASA), was founded in 1974 in Manila by Mrs. Virginia P. Elbinias, then incumbent President of the Philippine Association of Secretaries and
Administrative Professionals, Inc. (PAS) to provide an opportunity for
secretaries in and around Asia to meet and share their knowledge and
experience. PAS hosted the first Asian Congress of Secretaries in
Manila that year which was attended by secretaries from secretarial
association from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines,
Republic of China Thailand and Australia.
At the 13th ASA Congress held in Bangkok in September 2000, the Association’s name was changed to Association of Secretaries and Administrative Professionals in Asia Pacific (ASA) in view of the United Nations definition that “Asia is a vast region, which includes Russia and the Pacific Rim countries.”
The formation of ASA had created a means for secretarial associations to communicate with each other for the betterment of the individual association and the profession.