There are well-rounded professionals who are qualified experts, duly certified, highly skilled, and rigidly trained, but what pale them in comparison with the achievers are the achievements of the latter. These are the ones who, aside from attaining high education and having landed profitable jobs, are altruistically involved in their community while finding opportunities for professional growth and chartering their own path for personal accomplishment. These people have distinctly established their status as esteemed and revered while simultaneously worthy of emulation and recognition.
In this connection, the Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League, Inc. (PACCAL) – in its continuing effort and unprecedented advocacy to recognize and honor Filipino-Americans who have distinctly excelled in their chosen fields of endeavor and, at the same time, being of service to the community and inspirational guide to those walking behind – annually chooses successful achievers deserving of such meritorious Award of Distinction.
On Saturday, October 10, 2015 at the Ramada Plaza Newark Liberty International Airport Hotel (160-A Frontage Road, Newark, NJ 07114) at 1:00 PM, eighteen (18) successful Fil-Ams will be distinctly honored with a dinner-dance gala while the event’s vigor and mood will be heightened with magenta motif for universal harmony and emotional balance.
PACCAL 23rd Founding Anniversary has Dr. Elizabeth B. Divinagracia as its Honorary Chairperson with Joanne Sy Bhatia as Honorary Co-chair while Ramona S. Gapasin and Rebecca Samanyaphon are designated Ball Chair and Co-chair, respectively.
After a thorough screening and meticulous selection process, PACCAL’s Awards Committee came up with 18 official recipients of this year’s Award of Distinction.
Here are the first nine (9) official awardees:
Jayson Leonardo Javier – Culinary Expertise
Born as adventurous as his self-concocted recipes the kitchen wizard with iron fist in a velvet glove chef Jayson Leonardo Javier ably takes the bull by its horns while manning the four corners of his working area. Driven and in search of new ideas, Jayson has traveled halfway around the globe mastering and sharing nothing but only the best recipe a master gourmand could offer. Hard working with positive outlook in life, Jayson was made firm and unaffected by the voluminous kitchen pressures and the physically exhausting and mentally draining effects of his daily routine. As a Head Chef or Chef du Cuisine, Jason is in-charge of the whole kitchen set-up: from menu planning, and purchasing to hiring and staffing, and responsible for all the food that comes out of the kitchen. His undiminished passion, multi-tasking skills, sensitive palate with attention to detail, committed to quality, and capability to handle kitchen tension and criticism made Jason a top choice as Head Chef of Ichi Umi Buffet Restaurant along 6E 32nd. Street, New York City. A renaissance man, Jayson is also well-versed in painting, singing, landscaping, interior designing, and writing poetry.
Vitaliano “Nonoy” Rafael – Sports Preeminence (Chess)
Vitaliano “Nonoy” Rafael has been constantly involved with Filipino-American chess events in the tri-state area for three decades as a chess competitor, team captain, and tournament organizer. His being strappingly armed with voluminous championship medals and trophies from various international chess competitions credibly capacitated him to successfully organize myriads of chess tourneys significantly when he single-handedly directed the simultaneous chess exhibition of the Philippines’ only chess superstar Grandmaster Wesley So held at the Philippine Center New York in 2012. A graduate of Industrial Management Engineering from Dela Salle University and Information Technology at Columbia University (NY) and currently a NYS Licensed Real Estate broker (aside from moonlighting as a mobile DJ) after being a program manager and engineer for almost 30 years for aerospace and industrial manufacturing companies, Nonoy’s active affiliation with PIDCI catapulted him to hold prestigious positions: as a Board Director and Chair of 2015 PIDCI Grand Parade and 2015 Mrs. Kalayaan Search & Coronation Gala.
John Derick Co – Terpsichorean Supremacy
Innately born with gentle pair of terpsichorean feet, the AB Mass Communication graduate John Derick P. Co started his formal training for Ballroom Dancing in 1997 and instantly placed 2nd in a national competition but it only fueled his zealous pride and deliberately aimed to snatch the top plum. After undergoing advance training in Hong-Kong, Australia, and the UK, he finally achieved his goal which made him represent the Philippines in various International Dance Competitions most noteworthy of which was when he was declared Senior Latin Champion in the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival in the United Kingdom (after consistently placing 2nd thrice). Currently a passionate Ballroom Dance Teacher, Derick juggles from Diva Dance Studio at Goshen, New York to Dance at Innerlight Movements Studio at Poughkeepsie, NY to D’Haven at 58-02 37th Avenue in Woodside, NY.
Chelle Lhuillier – Human Rights Advocate
Chelle Lhuillier, a BS Biology graduate with units in Post Graduate studies, was a revered Biology teacher before migrating to the US where she resumed her pedagogical career at the New York City Board of Education as a middle school Science teacher. An innately compassionate person with advocacy in voluntarism and humanitarian service, Chelle is currently the Vice President of the Lions Club International Elmhurst Queen of Hearts Chapter. A beauty titlist (Miss LGBT Philippines – USA , Miss Pearl of the Orient, Miss Asia Popularity), gender equality activist, and a most sought-after ramp mannequin, Chelle made history as the first Trans Woman to have participated at the Philippine Independence Day parade in NYC and exhibits her dynamism in various Fil-Am community fundraising events and socio-civic activities. To further her advocacy on equality and LGBT rights she joined as a volunteer member of the Human Rights Campaign of Greater New York Diversity Committee Transgender Engagement Team.
Steven Raga – Community Service
Steven Raga is a Multicultural Leadership & Political Consultant for AARP where he was previously their National Urban Fellow. He serves as the NY State Chairperson for the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), Board Chair of Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro), and the Director for Community Affairs at the Forest Hills Asian Association. His community work began as a student, where he was the National Chairman for the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND) and President of the Society for Asian American Graduate Affairs at Cornell University. An innately born leader with prolific ideas for community development, Steven Raga is a committed advocate for social equality and good governance.
Soledad G. Dela Merced, MSN, RN, CCRN – Nursing Profession
A professional nurse, nurse leader, and educator, Soledad (Sally) Dela Merced made significant impact on the lives of many through numerous services at local, national, and international nursing events. Aside from her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and a Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNPc) candidate from Rutgers University, Sally is a Certified Critical Nurse (CCRN) working as a staff / charge nurse at the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of the University Hospital (formerly UMDNJ) in Newark, NJ Sally serves as a mentor to newly hired staff nurses and goes above and beyond her role collaborating with other healthcare members to improve patient care. Always a dynamic and indefatigable supporter of the Phillipine Nurses Association of New Jersey (PNANJ), she has served as a member of the association’s Executive Board (2007-present), National Secretary (2012-2014), and current President of Essex County Chapter. Blissfully married to Dr. Bernie Dela Merced and blessed with 2 children, Golda Bernadette and Bernardo Lorenzo, Sally also volunteers in various medical-surgical missions to the Philippines aside, of course, from working with civic, socio-cultural Fil-Am organizations in the east coast.
Arland Macasieb – Endurance Domination
Arland Macasieb is a pioneer for Filipino Americans in endurance sports. He is a three- time National Triathlon Champion of the Philippines (swimming, cycling and running), a two-time South East Asian Games Bronze Medalist in Triathlon, a four-time Boston Marathon Finisher, and a twenty five- time Ironman Triathlon finisher (2.4 mile swim, 112, mile bike, 26.2 mile run). A Philippine record holder for the Ironman Triathlon as well the National Hour Record for Cycling, Arland, in addition to his athletic CV, he is also the founder and CEO of the Filipino American Triathlon Club which is the largest Filipino Triathlon Club in the world with close to 400 members. This year, with the help of PACCAL, he conceptualized and produced the first ever Santacruzan 5K run and the Manila Avenue Mile run/walk which drew over 270 runners from all over the east coast to Jersey City this past May. His vision is to inspire Filipinos of all ages to follow their passions, adopt healthier lifestyles, and to build Filipino American Community through the medium of sport.
Iris Zalun – Young Professional
Iris Zalun is currently the Secretary of the Board of Directors of Unity for Progress (UniPro), a Queens-based nonprofit whose mission is to engage Filipino-Americans through collaboration, advocacy, and education. Her community involvement started during her undergraduate career at Fordham University when she held leadership positions in both Fordham University Philippine-American Club (FUPAC) and the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND) while majoring in English and Theology. She joined UniPro in 2010 and since then has served as its Summit Co-Chair, Vice-President, and most recently, 2014-2015 President. In her capacity as the lady in a totem pole, together with the Executive Board, several initiatives were directed such as the Opportunity Fair (offering career guidance to students and young professionals; the Liberty Festival (celebrating the community’s creative voices); the Annual Summit (where 150 delegates discussed the meaning of solidarity); and saw the expansion of UniPro into a national organization with new chapters in San Diego, Seattle, and Chicago.
Geo Ed Rebucas – Vocal Diversity
From his adventurous and topsy-turvy experience penetrating Pinoy Got Talent Season 3 that opened doors and opportunities for him, Geo Ed Rebucas has incredibly journeyed far and broad from where he humbly started… aptly armed nothing but only with his gifted voice and a keen determination to make it big on his own. Born to a family of singers from Pagadian City and now NY-based, the Nursing graduate with a Mariah Carrey vocal dead-ringer whose claim to fame was his divergent singing capability, could impressively perform effectively with both his falsetto and head voices without any sort of glitch in between. Despite the copious exposures in doing the rounds of practically every entertainment venue and watering hole in the tri-state area and meeting his head-spinning in-demand schedules while working in a beauty establishment in Jersey City, hardworking Geo’s huge life-changing plan remains a motivated obsession — to review and take the Nursing Board exam then work as a fulltime nurse and still doing what he does best… singing with distinctive falsetto style.
