paccal presidents
Linda Mayo
Founder and President 1992-2006
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Linda Mayo co-founded and became the president of the Philippine American Concerned Citizens Action League, Inc. (PACCAL) in 1992 whose primary mission assesses and addresses the human service needs of the Filipino community in Jersey City. PACCAL champions the causes of battered Filipina women, the Philippine American veterans, the seniors, and the youth. PACCAL was the stakeholder of the Community Foundation of New Jersey "Parents Organizing Parents Strategy" (POPS), which bridges the gap between long time residents and the new immigrants in Jersey City.
Linda spearheaded a fund drive to donate 500 Philippine books in the the Jersey City Public Libraries. She collaborated with the Association of the Filipino Teachers of America (AFTA) and made Conversational Filipino and Philippine Folk Dances to become part of the "SUPER SATURDAYS' program offered in Jersey City Public Schools.
Linda collaborated with the Order of the Knights of Rizal, NJ chapter and secured the site for the Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal Plaza in Jersey City which was unveiled in November of 2000. She was the first President of the Ladies for Rizal, NJ Chapter.
Professionally, Linda worked at the Purchasing Division of the City of Jersey City as an Administrative Assistant. She used to work in the Mayor's Office of Constituent Services and was appointed Deputy Mayor on March 9, 1998 by former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler. Before joining the Mayor's office, she worked for AlliedSignal (now Honeywell) for 22 years in the International Marketing and Distribution Department.
On April 21, 1998, she was elected to the Jersey City Board of Education. She was the First Asian-American elected official in Jersey City.
Linda was a leadership mentor of the Institute for the Advancement of Community Leadership and Service Learning at New Jersey City University; member of the Advisory Committee on Community Outreach of the New Jersey City Museum; Hudson County HIV/AIDS Planning Council; and the Billboard Action Coalition against alcohol and tobacco. She was a past commissioner of the Jersey City Planning Board and a member of the State of New Jersey Governors Ethnic Advisory Council from 1992 until May 1999.
Linda has been recognized in 2001 Public Service/Government Achievement Awardee of the Asian American Heritage Council (AAHC), "Women of Action" of the City Council of Jersey City in 1998; Hudson Jaycees 1997 "Most Outstanding Filipino-American in Government/Politics:, and "Excellence in Leadership" by the Philippine-American Veterans Organization, Inc."
Ms. Mayo graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree from the University of Manila, Philippines. She has an English/Drama major from the University of the East, Philippines. She earned credits for Master of Arts courses at New York University, NYC.
Ms. Mayo is a widow and has one son, Jose Mayo.​
Betty Buenviaje
President 2006-2010
Betty, a local community leader, served PACCAL from 2006 to 2010.
Luz Vivas
President 2011
Luchie, a local community leader, served PACCAL in 2011.
Rose Javier
President 2011 -2013
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Rose, as she is fondly called, is one of the very active community leaders in Jersey City.
Rose is mostly known for her dedicated role as a (past) President of Pan-American Concerned Citizens Action League, Inc. (PACCAL), a 501c3 non-profit organization primarily focusing on the health and human service needs of the local community in Jersey City and Hudson County and secondarily for its promotion of the Philippine Culture and Heritage.
In PACCAL, she started as a member in 1994 and became a cast member of the stage play “Back to The Roots” which written by Mrs. Linda Mayo and was shown in Ferris High School in Montgomery Street in Jersey City.
In 1997, Rose was appointed by former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler as Commissioner of Cultural Affairs and became the Stage Director to the former’s “Taste of the Nation” festival. After her active membership and as a Chair of PACCAL’s flagship events, she took the Presidency in 2011 to 2012. Upon seeing that there was no one ready yet to pick up the pieces after her first two-year term, she stayed for another year in 2013. She continued to be an active advisor from then on. When her husband Rolando served as the President in 2019 and 2020, she continued to work alongside with him during the height of the pandemic creating masks and PPEs from scratch, and then took her second two-year term from 2021 to 2022 to ensure the organization stays intact during the most concerning times of the world.
A sweet lady with such a charming personality, she has effectively held positions to help organize events for Philippine American Friendship Committee (PAFCOM), the Garden State Filipino-American Association, Inc. (GSFAA), and the Filipino-American Association of St. Aloysius Parish while simultaneously seated as Vice-President of other well-known Filipino-American organizations in the eastern seaboard of New Jersey: the United Mindoro Association and Ladies for Rizal – New Jersey Chapter. Aside from all these, she’s also actively involved in a number of community events: as a member of the Board of Directors and Events coordinator of the Philippine Fiesta in America, Inc., the Secretary of the Republican Committee (Jersey City Chapter), member of Philippine Dance Ensemble, and acted as Committee Chair in various fundraising events and Charity Balls.
With Rose’s love for her culture and heritage, she has gracefully reigned as Reyna Emperatriz during the Catholic Action of Mary’s Annual Santacruz as Mrs. Performing Arts Philippines of P.A.P.I., and Ms. Balik-Mindoro of the United Mindoro Association.
While Rose, by profession, works in the Hudson County Social Services in Jersey City, she balances her time for her charitable work and with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Lumen Castaneda
President 2014-2015
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Paraluman 'Lumen' Castaneda retired at the age of 75 years old with 55 years of teaching (34 in the Philippines and 21 years in the Board of Education in the Bronx, NY)
While she was still active in the board of education, she was also active with the teachers organization where she was vice president and then president of the Association of Fil-Am Teachers of America (AFTA) and served for two terms, she founded the UNITED FEDERATION OF FIL-AM EDUCATORS (UNIFFIED). It started with 2 chapters which grew to 15 and then it went home to the Philippines and grew by leaps and bounds with around 25 chapters.
She is an active member of the church as a liturgical and Extraordinary minister, notable is when she was asked to read the Tagalog petition during the mass of Pope Benedict XVI at the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx which was witnessed by about 50 thousand people at the stadium and millions around the world on television.
She is also an AMBASSADOR FOR PEACE as designated by the UNIFICATION CHURCH OF SOUTH KOREA in 2015. She is among hundreds of Ambassadors including presidents of different countries, prime ministers, senators and others.
She is featured in 3 segments of the Youtube show, "COOKING WITH GRANNY".
She was also the president of the LADIES FOR RIZAL and has held several positions in other organizations.
All in all, God is her first priority with her five children and grandchildren following.
Ramona Gapasin
President 2016-2018
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Ramona Gapasin was initially recognized by PACCAL as part of the Parents of the Year in 2011. After which she joined PACCAL in 2013. In 2016, she was elected as President of PACCAL and served till 2018. She was an active president which has done 4 Daytrip Atlantic City fundraisers on top of the two Annual Gala Fundraisers which is the Women’s History Month and the Anniversary Gala. On her year as president, she hosted the Leadership Seminar at the Ramada Hotel in Newark, NJ. She also had the Filipino History Month Cultural Event at the Five Corner's Library.
Ramona continues to be active in different organizations. She was the Reyna Emperatriz for CATHOLIC ACTION OF MARY'S Santacruzan in Jersey City, NJ in 2016. She was also named as the 1st Mrs. PACEC. In 2022, she is taking an active role as the President of the SENIOR CITIZENS INCORPORATED (SCI) but continues to be active advisor for PACCAL.
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Professionally, she is a Medical Laboratory Scientist and has worked for 50 years. She is presently working at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, NJ. She is married to Rogelio Gapasin for 48 yaers and is blessed with 4 children and 7 grandchildren.
Rolando 'Rollie' Javier
President 2019-2020
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Rollie, the President of PACCAL from 2019-2020, has been a big supporter of PACCAL. With Rose Javier, Rolando's wife being an active community leader,
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Rosita 'Rose' Javier
President 2021-2022
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Rose, with the challenging times of the pandemic, has taken another term to help the organization as the President from 2021-2022. Elected during the middle of the pandemic, Rose partnered with different individuals and organizations to help in giving out food for the first responders, seniors, nurses, and many more. She helped in creating face masks from scratch and delivered by car to at least 70 seniors in a day together with her husband Rollie.​​
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Marieta Lamar
President 2023-2024
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Marieta, the President of PACCAL from 2023-2024, has been a big supporter of PACCAL prior to her being the President.
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She is the first President of PACCAL who have been able to secure a spot to join the Philippine Independence Day Parade in New York City.
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Freddy Burke
President 2025-2026
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Freddy, the youngest of the elected President from the inception of PACCAL will be presiding from 2025-2026.
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