Winston C. Umali, M.D., FAAP President, UPAAA

By: Ryan Tejero

 

The University of the Philippines Alumni Association in America (UPAAA) opens this year with a new set of board of directors that will serve for 2024-2025. UPAAA is an organization of UP alumni from all over the US. Following the huge success of the General Reunion and Convention late last year, UPAAA had elected its new set of Officers and Presidential appointments. Coming in as its new President is Dr. Winston Umali from New Jersey. As he welcomed the newly installed Board of Directors and new appointees for 2024 and 2025, he said that “UPAAA has never been as vibrant as it was since the time, I set foot in its portals back in 2019. I remain in awe of the progress we have gone through all these years. To me, UPAAA is destined to be the go-to organization for UP alumni all over US as implied in our name since geographically, we hold a vital position to represent every UP graduate who wants to belong to a community of dedicated Iskolars ng Bayan, ready to make meaning of their education by reviving social consciousness and care for the underserved.”

For many years, UPAAA had been challenged with lack of volunteers and slowly increasing memberships. To this, Dr. Umali said, “I would like to focus primarily on our members as they are the core of our organization, coming to our fold in the spirit of volunteerism and thus, I want to expound on the benefits of their membership, relevant involvement in our activities, and mutual enjoyment in each other’s presence. I want to improve their retention and with this we continue to grow, individually or in groups, to form a tight structure of functional chapters and affiliates.”

As UPAAA strives to be financially healthy, Dr. Umali said that “We need to attend to our monetary assets as we just started our Permanent Endowment Funds from last term, and I believe in its beauty in building our financial stability. Similarly, we start this term with a sound budget that would keep us aware on our limits and be driven to continue striving to find income through effective fund-raising strategies that will sustain us in our operational expenses and continue our commitments to our scholars and grantees.”

UPAAA, with a name that bears a broad reach in U.S., extends engaging collaborations with interested UP alumni organizations as well as other non-UP associations. It is in such interactions with this intricate network that it harbors valuable relationships which will make mutual benefits and lasting co-existence. UPAAA continues to improve its presence in social media, making everyone aware that it is a vibrant U.P. alumni organization with the most diverse set of members and specialties. It exists to revive the UP spirit in them.

Lastly, UPAAA keeps all our current services and traditions – primarily our scholarships, webinars, virtual and in-person fellowships, virtual concerts, Iskolympics, local community activities, and most importantly, our biennial Grand Reunion and Convention. UPAAA will enhance this term with an online -accessible UP merchandise store, and a more user-friendly website.

In his message to the UP community, Dr. Umali says, “Reflective of our mission, vision, and values, I hope to engage each member of UPAAA, with the same passion and dedication to achieve our common goals for the good of all the constituents we serve. Godspeed to us all!”

Dr. Umali graduated his BS Psychology in 1988, and his Doctor of Medicine in 1994 from the University of the Philippines. He is currently a Board-Certified Pediatrician in Private Practice, and a Clinical Asst. Professor of Pediatrics (Volunteer Track) at Rutgers NJ Medical School and Rowan University, School of Osteopathic Medicine. As a multi-awarded and outstanding community leader, Dr. Umali is currently the Chair, Board of Governors of the UP Medical Alumni Society in America and the Executive Director – Philippine Pediatric Society in America. He is the Immediate Past President – Handang Tumulong foundation, Inc.

Please visit UPAAA’s website at www.upaainamerica.org for more information and ways to support the organization.