| Rosa Rosales So, M.D. Independence, Ohio National Fil-Am Community Leader |
Rosa Rosales So is a well-known community leader not only in
the vast Ohio Valley but as well as in major cities in the East
Coast and the West Coast. “Rosie” as known by APPA AND
USTMAAA legions of friends has been very active and in the
forefront of leadership in at least two major and influential
Filipino-American group with chapter in the areas where Filipino
physicians are residing. She has been particularly very visible
with the Association of Philippine Physicians in America (APPA)
serving in various official capacities as well as chairing important
and vital committees and various national humanitarian projects
under the auspices of APPA.
Rosie’s tested and acknowledged leadership especially in
chairing national convention or spearheading a vital project is
likewise very much in demand with the University of Santo Tomas
Medical Alumni Association in America (USTMAAA) and its
Foundation segment, where she served as its National
Secretary and recently was elected as USTMAAA National Vice
President.
Rosie’s keen leadership and easygoing approach in solving
problems within the Association of Philippine Physicians in
the vast Ohio Valley but as well as in major cities in the East
Coast and the West Coast. “Rosie” as known by APPA AND
USTMAAA legions of friends has been very active and in the
forefront of leadership in at least two major and influential
Filipino-American group with chapter in the areas where Filipino
physicians are residing. She has been particularly very visible
with the Association of Philippine Physicians in America (APPA)
serving in various official capacities as well as chairing important
and vital committees and various national humanitarian projects
under the auspices of APPA.
Rosie’s tested and acknowledged leadership especially in
chairing national convention or spearheading a vital project is
likewise very much in demand with the University of Santo Tomas
Medical Alumni Association in America (USTMAAA) and its
Foundation segment, where she served as its National
Secretary and recently was elected as USTMAAA National Vice
President.
Rosie’s keen leadership and easygoing approach in solving
problems within the Association of Philippine Physicians in
America (APPA), the largest and most influential Filipino-American group in the United States, are well-
appreciated by its members judging from the various positions assigned to her. At onetime when APPA held
its annual convention in Cleveland, Ohio, Rosie was chosen as General or Overall Chairman of the five-days
event with various activities including four gala evening receptions. Rosie was seen all over the convention
hall. Superbly well-organized with assigned chairman for each event, and Rosie obviously on top of all
functions. She served in the APPA Constitution and By Laws Committee, tasked to monitor, coordinate and
implement APPA’s complex and constantly amended Constitution and By-Laws. She also served as member
of the influential Nominations and Elections Committee. In 1995-97, Rosie was elected APPA Treasurer,
and in 1997-98, she was elected to the Board of Governors.
The most recent Summer ’99 National Convention of the Association of Philippine Physicians in America
(APPA) held in Orange County, Southern California, Rosie campaigned for the position of President-elect. At
any rate, Rosie’s sincere desire to serve APPA as its head honcho “maybe” is “put” on hold, but the fact
remains that Rosie has the caliber to lead an organization such as APPA, and is validated by the votes
casted by the APPA rank and file as well as its leadership echelon.
Rosie’s active participation is not limited only to her beloved UST alumni group, and/or to APPA. For years,
she was very visible with groups like the Philippine American Society of Ohio, the organization representing
all walks of life of the Filipino community residing in the vast Ohio Valley. She also actively participates with
the Philippine American Ministry (PAM), a Catholic organization working closely with the Ohio Archdiocese
and ministering to the religious needs of the Filipino community. PAM sponsors a Filipino priest direct from
the Philippines to reside in the archdiocese to service the Fil-Am community, who in turn underwrites the
priest’s travel expenses to and from Manila, They leased a vehicle for the priest to use to call on the houses
of the members of the Filipino community, and also provide board and lodging while the priest is in
Cleveland, Ohio.
With the mainstream organizations, Rosie served at one time as President of the Cleveland Psychiatric
Society, composed mostly of Ohio’s elite physicians and practically just a handful Filipino members in its
roster. Rosie was likewise active with another non-Filipino groups like the Ohio State Medical Association
and the American Psychiatric Association.
Rosie came to the United States to pursue her residency training and advanced medical education a year
after her medical degree graduation in 1966 from the same university, the world famous University of Santo
Tomas, where she graduated from high school and Premedical Studies. For post graduate studies, she took
her Residency in Psychiatry from Fairhill Mental Health Center in Cleveland in 1974 to ‘75; and then
completed it in 1977 to ‘79 at Northcoast Behavioral Health System. She is a licensure with the State Medical
Board of Ohio and the Florida Department of Health, Board of Medicine.
Rosie is married to Engineer Nestor Bunag of Gapan, Nueva Ecija, a chemical engineer affiliated with a
company in Ohio. They have five adult children. (NM)
appreciated by its members judging from the various positions assigned to her. At onetime when APPA held
its annual convention in Cleveland, Ohio, Rosie was chosen as General or Overall Chairman of the five-days
event with various activities including four gala evening receptions. Rosie was seen all over the convention
hall. Superbly well-organized with assigned chairman for each event, and Rosie obviously on top of all
functions. She served in the APPA Constitution and By Laws Committee, tasked to monitor, coordinate and
implement APPA’s complex and constantly amended Constitution and By-Laws. She also served as member
of the influential Nominations and Elections Committee. In 1995-97, Rosie was elected APPA Treasurer,
and in 1997-98, she was elected to the Board of Governors.
The most recent Summer ’99 National Convention of the Association of Philippine Physicians in America
(APPA) held in Orange County, Southern California, Rosie campaigned for the position of President-elect. At
any rate, Rosie’s sincere desire to serve APPA as its head honcho “maybe” is “put” on hold, but the fact
remains that Rosie has the caliber to lead an organization such as APPA, and is validated by the votes
casted by the APPA rank and file as well as its leadership echelon.
Rosie’s active participation is not limited only to her beloved UST alumni group, and/or to APPA. For years,
she was very visible with groups like the Philippine American Society of Ohio, the organization representing
all walks of life of the Filipino community residing in the vast Ohio Valley. She also actively participates with
the Philippine American Ministry (PAM), a Catholic organization working closely with the Ohio Archdiocese
and ministering to the religious needs of the Filipino community. PAM sponsors a Filipino priest direct from
the Philippines to reside in the archdiocese to service the Fil-Am community, who in turn underwrites the
priest’s travel expenses to and from Manila, They leased a vehicle for the priest to use to call on the houses
of the members of the Filipino community, and also provide board and lodging while the priest is in
Cleveland, Ohio.
With the mainstream organizations, Rosie served at one time as President of the Cleveland Psychiatric
Society, composed mostly of Ohio’s elite physicians and practically just a handful Filipino members in its
roster. Rosie was likewise active with another non-Filipino groups like the Ohio State Medical Association
and the American Psychiatric Association.
Rosie came to the United States to pursue her residency training and advanced medical education a year
after her medical degree graduation in 1966 from the same university, the world famous University of Santo
Tomas, where she graduated from high school and Premedical Studies. For post graduate studies, she took
her Residency in Psychiatry from Fairhill Mental Health Center in Cleveland in 1974 to ‘75; and then
completed it in 1977 to ‘79 at Northcoast Behavioral Health System. She is a licensure with the State Medical
Board of Ohio and the Florida Department of Health, Board of Medicine.
Rosie is married to Engineer Nestor Bunag of Gapan, Nueva Ecija, a chemical engineer affiliated with a
company in Ohio. They have five adult children. (NM)
Washington D.C. Since 1987
Washington D.C. Since 1987
Washington D.C. Since 1987
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