| Dr. Alex M. Cueto Cherry Hill, New Jersey A new breed of super-active community leadership |
The Vice President and concurrent Executive Director of APPA is a
busy bee. Much in demand as general chairman of various APPA
major events, Dr. Cueto heads the executive body that
successfully sponsored the 1991 APPA National Convention and
Seminar in Atlantic City, the APPA-PMA Joint Conference in
Manila last December, and now heads again the APPA's 21st
National Convention and Seminar in Orlando, Florida this July.
The lanky and charming doctor epitomizes the "arriving" new
breed of community leadership among Filipino-Americans in the
United States.
Watching Alex Cueto barked orders, with a smile and an
irresistible please-please after every order, during the hectic
registration days of the APPA's 20th Annual National Convention
and Seminar last summer, the good doctor has the making
more of Gen. Norman Schwartzkoff rather than the meek, gentle
and humble practicing physician from picturesque Cherry Hill,
New Jersey. Well respected and admired by the residents of
this community just off the New Jersey turnpike, Alex, as he
insists to be called by all - including most of his patients - is
definitely a workaholic both in his profession and in his
community service.
busy bee. Much in demand as general chairman of various APPA
major events, Dr. Cueto heads the executive body that
successfully sponsored the 1991 APPA National Convention and
Seminar in Atlantic City, the APPA-PMA Joint Conference in
Manila last December, and now heads again the APPA's 21st
National Convention and Seminar in Orlando, Florida this July.
The lanky and charming doctor epitomizes the "arriving" new
breed of community leadership among Filipino-Americans in the
United States.
Watching Alex Cueto barked orders, with a smile and an
irresistible please-please after every order, during the hectic
registration days of the APPA's 20th Annual National Convention
and Seminar last summer, the good doctor has the making
more of Gen. Norman Schwartzkoff rather than the meek, gentle
and humble practicing physician from picturesque Cherry Hill,
New Jersey. Well respected and admired by the residents of
this community just off the New Jersey turnpike, Alex, as he
insists to be called by all - including most of his patients - is
definitely a workaholic both in his profession and in his
community service.
His style of executive leadership is unique but typical of high level corporate CEOs. Prior to delegating
responsibilities and authorities, he first execute his own order so as to give example of how he envisions
assigned functions to be properly performed.
"It has been a habit I have developed from childhood. I would like to see first if I could do the task before I
ask others to do it," explained Alex during an early Spring interview at Cherry Hills. "When I am capable of
executing the task, then I feel justified to expect better result from others."
Explaining more his unorthodox theory, Alex humbly explained: "I am not really a doer or a highly achiever
individual. Thus, what I could do myself could be positively accomplished better by others."
As general chairman, the chief honcho of both the recently concluded APPA's trouble- racked 20th Annual
Convention at Atlantic City, and five months later, the highly publicized controversial APPA-PMA joint
convention in Manila, Dr.Cueto had the unenviable task of a peacemaker role of all kinds of discords.
In America, the Filipino physicians were divided into two adversarial factions; while in the Philippines, the
problem was doubly sensitive and more complicated because the Philippine practicing doctors were not too
willing to work jointly with their United States counterparts due to previous misunderstanding.
"Dr. Alex Cueto's sincere efforts in trying to pacify everyone concerned paid-off well. He was able to turn
around the Atlantic City affair into an enjoyable summer shindig for the Filipino-American physicians and their
family by personally rising above petty quarrels and maintaining neutrality at all time," quipped one of the
delegates from California.
BEST APPA CONVENTION CHAIRMAN
Praises after praises were given Dr. Cueto for his superb performance. Dr. Rodolfo Magpantay and Dr.
Esmeralda Magpantay from Long Island, New York, the husband and wife physicians who have been
regularly attending most of APPA's national conventions for more than twenty years, wrote: "Congratulations
to the best APPA Convention Chairman for the best ever and unsurpassed APPA Convention."
"In Manila, Dr. Cueto exercised great gentleness, professional caution and super diplomacy which
resulted into better understanding and working arrangements between the physicians in the Philippines and
America," added one APPA's leading members from New York.
Commented Philippines' PMA President Homobono Calleja; "So far this was the most successful and
smoothly orchestrated joint venture with no hitches or sign of dissatisfaction from both organizations."
DR. CARLOTA'S TOP CHOICE
Dr. Lupo "Sonny" Carlota, APPA's dynamic president strongly believes in Cueto's own style of leadership.
Cueto is Dr. Carlota's top choice as his right hand man as well as his alter-ego. Immediately upon
assuming APPA's leadership, Dr. Carlota unhesitatingly appointed Cueto as his Executive Director with full
power to administratively and functionally run the day to day operations of APPA, including, overseeing
the APPA's Washington, D.C. national headquarters. In addition, Dr. Carlota handpicked Dr. Cueto to head
both APPA's major functions in Manila and in Orlando, Florida.
"Dr. Alex Cueto, a man of experience and wisdom. A man of all seasons. Proven and tested leadership
whose main desire is to serve rather than be served. To understand, than to be understood. A unifying
factor more especially for the APPA," described Dr. Carlota.
Dr. Cueto was the 1984 president of the Philippine American Medical Society of New Jersey when the Society
won all kinds of accolades. After his term as president expired, the organization bestowed him a distinct
and an unequaled honor for "his effective leadership as President of the Philippine American Medical
Society of New Jersey."
Dr. Cueto humbly ascended to his current positions with APPA, the largest Filipino-American professional
organization in the United States, by starting as an active member. In 1987, he was elected a member of
the Board of Governors of APPA.
In addition to his present positions with APPA, Dr. Cueto is the current president of the University of Santo
Tomas Medical Alumni Association representing one of the largest concentration of UST medical
graduates encompassing the tri-states of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Active in community
civic organizations in Cherry Hill, he serves the County Fire Department. He is a member of the City's
Ethnic Advisory Council and also the local Chamber of Commerce. He is one of the leading physician
volunteers to all four Camden County hospitals. Considered as a patron of arts and a generous
philanthropist by his community, Dr. Cueto has been known to be financially supportive to
community-worthy projects of the entire Camden County.
"I started my medical practice in 1978 and have never moved from the same locations ever since," confided
Dr. Cueto during a "sushi" lunch interview at Sagami Japanese Restaurant at nearby Collingswood where
other customers as well as the owner, the sushi-makers, and the waiters cheerfully greeted Dr. Cueto as
we entered the restaurant. "Now I'm taking it easy and try not to work too hard."
But not so, according to Debbie Weitzman, Dr. Cueto's assistant and girl-Friday for more than 8 years :
"Dr. Cueto is a very hardworking physician. He starts early and cares for his patients up to night time."
Dr. Cueto clinic is called the Collingwood Medical Center, specializing in family general practice. For a
man who is supposed to be taking it easy, Dr. Cueto sees a total of 45 patients on an average day, and
more than 65 patients on a busy full schedule.
Married to the former Mila Tolentino, a childhood sweetheart, a town and campus beauty queen, from the
same place where he was born: Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, the Cuetos both came from active
politically-oriented families. Both Alex's father, the late Epifanio B. Cueto, Sr., and one of Alex's brothers,
served as mayor of Calapan. Mila's father, the late Amado Tolentino, was a judge of the Court of First
Instance. Mila, who has a law degree, graduated from the University of the East in Manila. She works as a
part time a real estate broker and as the chief administrator of the Collingwood Medical Center as well as a
daily participant of the stock market options.
After finishing his secondary education from Oriental Mindoro High School in 1956, Alex went straight to
Manila to pursue his desire of becoming a physician. In 1964, he fully realized his dream and graduated
with "meritus" grade with a degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery. Determined to be successful in his
profession, two years after graduation, he decided to migrate to the United States for further medical
education as well as to gain advance training and techniques in modern medicine.
After completing his residency at Sacred Heart Hospital in Norristown, Pennsylvania, he started his private
practice.
To his Filipino patients, Dr. Cueto is someone very special to them. Whenever a Filipino patient comes to
his clinic, it is almost sure that Dr. Cueto provides sample medicines "to go" as much as one can carry.
Asked about his future plan after scoring a landslide victory at APPA's President-Elect last July National APPA
Convention and Seminar held at Orlando, FL, Dr. Cueto humbly concluded: "I sincerely would like to serve
APPA as well as the Filipinos in America."
FIL-AM IMAGE wishes the good doctor good luck and God speed.
responsibilities and authorities, he first execute his own order so as to give example of how he envisions
assigned functions to be properly performed.
"It has been a habit I have developed from childhood. I would like to see first if I could do the task before I
ask others to do it," explained Alex during an early Spring interview at Cherry Hills. "When I am capable of
executing the task, then I feel justified to expect better result from others."
Explaining more his unorthodox theory, Alex humbly explained: "I am not really a doer or a highly achiever
individual. Thus, what I could do myself could be positively accomplished better by others."
As general chairman, the chief honcho of both the recently concluded APPA's trouble- racked 20th Annual
Convention at Atlantic City, and five months later, the highly publicized controversial APPA-PMA joint
convention in Manila, Dr.Cueto had the unenviable task of a peacemaker role of all kinds of discords.
In America, the Filipino physicians were divided into two adversarial factions; while in the Philippines, the
problem was doubly sensitive and more complicated because the Philippine practicing doctors were not too
willing to work jointly with their United States counterparts due to previous misunderstanding.
"Dr. Alex Cueto's sincere efforts in trying to pacify everyone concerned paid-off well. He was able to turn
around the Atlantic City affair into an enjoyable summer shindig for the Filipino-American physicians and their
family by personally rising above petty quarrels and maintaining neutrality at all time," quipped one of the
delegates from California.
BEST APPA CONVENTION CHAIRMAN
Praises after praises were given Dr. Cueto for his superb performance. Dr. Rodolfo Magpantay and Dr.
Esmeralda Magpantay from Long Island, New York, the husband and wife physicians who have been
regularly attending most of APPA's national conventions for more than twenty years, wrote: "Congratulations
to the best APPA Convention Chairman for the best ever and unsurpassed APPA Convention."
"In Manila, Dr. Cueto exercised great gentleness, professional caution and super diplomacy which
resulted into better understanding and working arrangements between the physicians in the Philippines and
America," added one APPA's leading members from New York.
Commented Philippines' PMA President Homobono Calleja; "So far this was the most successful and
smoothly orchestrated joint venture with no hitches or sign of dissatisfaction from both organizations."
DR. CARLOTA'S TOP CHOICE
Dr. Lupo "Sonny" Carlota, APPA's dynamic president strongly believes in Cueto's own style of leadership.
Cueto is Dr. Carlota's top choice as his right hand man as well as his alter-ego. Immediately upon
assuming APPA's leadership, Dr. Carlota unhesitatingly appointed Cueto as his Executive Director with full
power to administratively and functionally run the day to day operations of APPA, including, overseeing
the APPA's Washington, D.C. national headquarters. In addition, Dr. Carlota handpicked Dr. Cueto to head
both APPA's major functions in Manila and in Orlando, Florida.
"Dr. Alex Cueto, a man of experience and wisdom. A man of all seasons. Proven and tested leadership
whose main desire is to serve rather than be served. To understand, than to be understood. A unifying
factor more especially for the APPA," described Dr. Carlota.
Dr. Cueto was the 1984 president of the Philippine American Medical Society of New Jersey when the Society
won all kinds of accolades. After his term as president expired, the organization bestowed him a distinct
and an unequaled honor for "his effective leadership as President of the Philippine American Medical
Society of New Jersey."
Dr. Cueto humbly ascended to his current positions with APPA, the largest Filipino-American professional
organization in the United States, by starting as an active member. In 1987, he was elected a member of
the Board of Governors of APPA.
In addition to his present positions with APPA, Dr. Cueto is the current president of the University of Santo
Tomas Medical Alumni Association representing one of the largest concentration of UST medical
graduates encompassing the tri-states of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Active in community
civic organizations in Cherry Hill, he serves the County Fire Department. He is a member of the City's
Ethnic Advisory Council and also the local Chamber of Commerce. He is one of the leading physician
volunteers to all four Camden County hospitals. Considered as a patron of arts and a generous
philanthropist by his community, Dr. Cueto has been known to be financially supportive to
community-worthy projects of the entire Camden County.
"I started my medical practice in 1978 and have never moved from the same locations ever since," confided
Dr. Cueto during a "sushi" lunch interview at Sagami Japanese Restaurant at nearby Collingswood where
other customers as well as the owner, the sushi-makers, and the waiters cheerfully greeted Dr. Cueto as
we entered the restaurant. "Now I'm taking it easy and try not to work too hard."
But not so, according to Debbie Weitzman, Dr. Cueto's assistant and girl-Friday for more than 8 years :
"Dr. Cueto is a very hardworking physician. He starts early and cares for his patients up to night time."
Dr. Cueto clinic is called the Collingwood Medical Center, specializing in family general practice. For a
man who is supposed to be taking it easy, Dr. Cueto sees a total of 45 patients on an average day, and
more than 65 patients on a busy full schedule.
Married to the former Mila Tolentino, a childhood sweetheart, a town and campus beauty queen, from the
same place where he was born: Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, the Cuetos both came from active
politically-oriented families. Both Alex's father, the late Epifanio B. Cueto, Sr., and one of Alex's brothers,
served as mayor of Calapan. Mila's father, the late Amado Tolentino, was a judge of the Court of First
Instance. Mila, who has a law degree, graduated from the University of the East in Manila. She works as a
part time a real estate broker and as the chief administrator of the Collingwood Medical Center as well as a
daily participant of the stock market options.
After finishing his secondary education from Oriental Mindoro High School in 1956, Alex went straight to
Manila to pursue his desire of becoming a physician. In 1964, he fully realized his dream and graduated
with "meritus" grade with a degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery. Determined to be successful in his
profession, two years after graduation, he decided to migrate to the United States for further medical
education as well as to gain advance training and techniques in modern medicine.
After completing his residency at Sacred Heart Hospital in Norristown, Pennsylvania, he started his private
practice.
To his Filipino patients, Dr. Cueto is someone very special to them. Whenever a Filipino patient comes to
his clinic, it is almost sure that Dr. Cueto provides sample medicines "to go" as much as one can carry.
Asked about his future plan after scoring a landslide victory at APPA's President-Elect last July National APPA
Convention and Seminar held at Orlando, FL, Dr. Cueto humbly concluded: "I sincerely would like to serve
APPA as well as the Filipinos in America."
FIL-AM IMAGE wishes the good doctor good luck and God speed.
Washington D.C. Since 1987
Washington D.C. Since 1987
| Copyright© 2006 Filipino Image. All rights Reserved. Advertise | Contract | Subscribe | Publisher | Contact Us |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |