BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Henry Divina

Chairman of the Board

ACS ’59 graduate of Philippine College of Commerce (now Polytechnic University of the Philippines) is also a BBA graduate of the University of the East, Manila. He is both a US and Philippine CPA and is a Naturopathic Physician. He completed his PhD (doctorate degree) and NMD (Naturopathic Medical degree) from American Universities. He maintains membership in professional societies including the AICPA, AIHM (Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine) and ANHMA (American Naturopathic and Holistic Medical Association. He is also a CGMA and is certified in Addiction Counseling. He is retired now but continues to practice as a part time consultant when not traveling abroad with his wife, Carie.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (818) 441-6337

Monette Santillan-Rivera

Vice Chairman

Monette Santillan-Rivera graduated from PUP in 1973 BSC major in Accounting and became a Certified Public Accountant. Joined Philippine Airlines right after graduation and became an Internal Auditor. Migrated to the U.S. in 1984 and worked as an Accountant and Controller. After retiring from the corporate world, she is now the President and Broker of RE Partners Inc, a real estate, mortgage and investment company. She is also the owner and administrator of Desert Springs Assisted Living Home, LLC. A Past President of Philippine American Society of CPAs-LA, Past President of LA Cosmopolitan Lions Club and currently a Zone Chair of Lions District 4L-3. Her passion is raising funds to give scholarships to less fortunate but deserving students. She is married to Vladimir Rivera.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (818) 970-8317

Violeta Dela Cruz Cristobal

President

Violeta (VEE) Dela Cruz Cristobal, CPA, CGMA migrated to California more than 30 years ago with her whole family, Cesar, her husband and two children, Glenn and Samantha. She graduated at PUP/PCC with a degree in Business Education in undergraduate and graduate studies. Prior to forming her own CPA firm, Cristobal & Company, CPAs, of Brentwood, California in 2001, Vee had been in public practice for over 30 years & has accounting experience in various field of industry. Vee was past president of Philippine American Society of CPAs (PASCPA) and past president of Los Angeles Chapter of the California Society of CPAs (CALCPA). She is currently the Chairperson of the Los Angeles Accounting Principles and Auditing Standards and Council of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) since 2010. She has received several awards for her exemplary dedication to her profession and the community. Her goal is to build a library in PUP in the near future and continue to teach financial literacy in the community.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (310) 880-5808

Honeylette Monteverde-De Leon

Executive Vice-President / Job Placement

Honeylette Monteverde-De Leon is the president and owner of World Class Freight, Inc. a NVOCC and freight consolidator located in Carson, CA. She graduated at PCC/PUP in 1978, where she received her BSC major in marketing. After graduation, she was hired by Majalco Insurance and Investment in Makati and after two years, was offered a job at Maglines/Mitsui OSK Lines. In 1983 she migrated to New York and worked for Biddle Sawyer Corp. in Manhattan. In 1985 she moved to California to work for various NVOCCs and freight forwarders as import manager and later as VP Sales & Marketing. In 1991, Honeylette along with her husband, established World Class Freight Inc. with a head office in Carson, a branch office in Jersey city and an office in Manila. Honeylette is a member of various business associations. She is married to Robert Z. De Leon Jr. with three children, Noel Ed, Kristine Claire and Robert III. Her goal is to continuously help the less fortunate people and empower the young achiever to become an entrepreneur.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (562) 480-5743

Rosemarie Belle Trinidad-Mejia

Vice President – Public Relations

Rosemarie T. Mejia is a seasoned real estate agent with over 15 years of experience that helped numerous clients turned their bank savings into a thriving investment portfolio. Rosemarie is also a financial consultant, a real estate investor and a Certified Resident Property Manager. Over the years, she has been given numerous awards for excellence in real estate, community leadership and held various positions in different organization in L.A. such as Philippine Women’s Club, Filipino American Community of L.A. Filipino American Service Group Inc., National Association of Professional Women, National Association of Realtors, CA Association of Realtors, Philippine Chamber of Commerce, including President of MOTHER (Movement To Help End Rape & Child Abuses) and Chairman of Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown. Aside from her career, Rosemarie is a benefactor of many charitable organizations. She has recently won beauty pageants and crowned as Ms. Earth and Ms. Lakambini ng Kalayaan. Also been dubbed the titles of Lakambini ng Pag-ibig, Lakambinin ng Pag-asa at recent community events.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (323) 997-3838

Jose “Jun” Mapoy Jr.

Vice President – Finance

Jose (JUN) Mapoy JR. became a Certified Public Accountant in 1984 and finished his Master in Business Administration in 1989. With the intention of strengthening his public speaking skills, he took Master in Mass Communication at Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in 1995. During his career, he worked in various capacities as an Auditor, Chief Accountant, Bank Examiner, Accounting Manager and Controller. Currently, Jun is working with the California Department of Justice as an Auditor. He is living with his wife Myra, who was also a PUP alumna, children Kim, Santa and Shane. Jun is also an active member of Filipino Cursilloin Christianity-Los Angeles (FCIC-LA) and assigned as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Rose of Lima in Maywood, California.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (323) 627-2960

Dr. Gerry Fernando

Vice President – Goals & Planning

Acting Treasurer / Accountant

Dr. Gerry Fernando is the Management Accountant for ICON Tax Group, Inc. Dr. Gerry is an innovative and driven accounting professional with over 28 years of experience. He is a California registered tax preparer and eligible to sit in the Uniform CPA exam in the US. Dr. Gerry holds a PH.D in Business Management from Manuel L Quezon University in the Philippines. He was a cum laude graduate of Bachelor in Accountancy from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. In addition, Dr. Gerry has an MBA from Far Eastern University. Before coming to the US, he was the Accountancy Program Head at the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance at FEU and served as the Quality Management Representative for ISO 9001:2008 certification in Quality Management System. He began his teaching stints at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and De La Salle University – Dasmarinas handling accounting, auditing and taxation subjects. Dr. Gerry has an extensive private working experiences for multi-national manufacturing firm, retail and financial companies.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (818) 860-6339

Amelita “Aimee” Sarmiento

Vice President – Ways & Means

Aimee is a graduate of PCC/PUP major in Marketing. Right after graduation, she was hired as Secretary by R.E.O.M.I.E. b.v., a company based in Wolfheze, Holland. She was sent to Holland for a year and after a year she decided to come back to the Philippines. It was a great experience for her. After another year of being a Hollander/Dutch, she joined RCA Global Communications, Inc. now Philippine Global Communications, Inc. in Makati and stayed for 24 years with this company as the Manager, Administration. She considered herself “semi-retired” when she left the company, PhilCom in 2000. It was in September 2000 when Aimee left for the United States for more challenges in life. In this new adventure, she got her first job in an electrical contracting company as Secretary and presently, an Admin Assistant in a Property Management Company. She is blessed with 3 beautiful girls, Anna, a Mass Com graduate from UP, Agnes and Andrea, both nurses from FEU. Aimee enjoys travelling especially the so called “CRUISE” with her very loving partner in life, Albert Hirsch. Lastly, she wants to express her BIG THANK YOU to PCC/PUP, her dear ALMA MATER.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (323) 450-6019

Evangeline R. Codilla

Vice President – Membership Global

Evangeline “Vangie” Reyes-Codilla graduated from Polytechnic University of the Philippines in 1982 with a degree of Bachelor in Accountancy. She is currently the controller of Empire PRO, considered as one of the largest distributors of professional audio, video & lighting equipment nationwide and highly regarded worldwide. Vangie has extensive training and work experiences in the field of finance and investment house operations, construction, manpower services, security & cash logistics services, imports and wholesale distribution. In 2000, she migrated to California and worked as an Accountant and Controller in various reputable companies. She is a member of Phil American Society of Certified Public Accountants and National Council of Philippines American Canadian Accountants. She is married to Bobby Codilla, also a Controller of a large food manufacturing company and blessed with two lovely daughters, Joyce and Vanessa. Joyce is currently serving in the Air Force based in Anchorage, Alaska. Vanessa is a Junior taking up Business Communications at UCLA.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (818) 468-3386

Sandra Estrellado-Dollano

Vice President – Membership USA

Sandra Estrellado-Dollano graduated from PUP in 1988 with a degree of Bachelor in Accountancy. She worked for almost 15 years in the Philippines at MacroAsia Corporation prior to her migration in the United States in September 2015. Currently, she is working as Staff Accountant at Los Angeles Job Corps – an organization administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. She is married to Edmar Dollano and blessed with a son named Louie, a Mechanical Engineering student at De La Salle University, Manila. Her goal is to continuously support the advocacy of PUPAA USA because she wants to give back the success that she owe to our Alma Mater.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (213) 570-3179

Lynn Soliven Manaois

Vice President – Membership Benefits

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Marissa Sugay-Palanca

Vice President – Scholarship & Education

Marissa Sugay-Palanca graduated from PUP in 1982 with a Bachelor in Business Management degree major in Management. She was a working student and was employed by St. Life Plan, Inc as Secretary for three (3) years. After her graduation, she joined Anchor Finance and Investment Corporation where she worked for 14 years initially as Administrative Assistant and then was promoted as
Administrative and Cash Department Manager. She migrated to the United States in 2001 with her late husband, Rodolfo Palanca and their son, John Lawrence S. Palanca. Her daughter, Joanne Abigail Palanca-Diaz is now living in Abu Dhabi with her husband, Ralph Diaz and their 2 children, Jamilia and Jamir. She started her career in the U.S. working in a law firm. She is currently working at the Law Offices of John C. Ye and at the same time has recently started her own business, First Aid Medical Transportation, Inc., a non-emergency medical transportation where she is the managing partner and Chief Financial Officer.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (818) 281-7460

Maria Socorro Maico

Vice President – Social Media

Maria Socorro Maico is a graduate of Polytechnic University of the Philippines Laboratory High School in 1980, obtained a Bachelor in Business Management degree in 1984 and a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Physical Education and Sports in 1992. She migrated to the United States in 2005 and got her Master of Arts (MA) in Leadership in Teaching and Learning at Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) in 2009 and her Post Masters Certificate in Educational Leadership & Administration at George Washington Graduate School of Education Human Development, Washington DC in 2022. She is certified in Special Education, Physical Education, and Administrator 1 with the Maryland State Department of Education. She is blessed with four amazing children. Her oldest son, Ronald Alejo, is a current faculty member of Polytechnic University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics and Coach of men’s varsity swimming team. Rayniel specialized and graduated with a degree in Cybersecurity from the University of Maryland, Aaron is a highly skilled technician and her daughter, Toni, graduated at Johns Hopkins University and obtained dual Masters degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Mechanical Engineering (MSME) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She works as an Associate Director, Corporate Strategy & Operations in Bethesda, Maryland. Maria has committed to serve PUPAA with her capacity to facilitate communication through its global advocacy.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (443) 983-5381

Josefina S. Domingo

Vice President – Awards & Recognition

JOSEFINA S. DOMINGO is the Managing Partner of JSD Accounting & Taxation Services, LLC located in New Jersey. She is an alumna of Polytechnic University of the Philippines, formerly Philippine College of Commerce with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant, with a master’s degree in Accounting and Financial Management. She was formerly the Treasurer, and presently the Auditor of National Council of Philippine American Canadian Accountants (NCPACA), Past-President of the Association of Filipino American Accountants of New Jersey, Director of Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountant – East Coast, formerly the Treasurer of the Phil-Am Lions Club of New York from 2017 to 2018 and moved to Highland Park Phil-Am Lions Club in New Jersey in 2019. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award of NCPACA Councilor from NCPACA, and the Melvin Jones Fellow, and Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award from Lions Club International.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (201) 936-5351

Antonietta “Tonette” Tiongson-Hall

Secretary

Antonietta (Tonette) Tiongson-Hall graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the Philippine College of Commerce (now Polytechnic University of the Philippines) in 1976.While still a student, she worked for the Central Bank of the Philippines (now BangkoSentral ng Pilipinas) from 1975 but left her Trade/Data Analyst position in 1980 to migrate to the USA.

Tonette holds a CPA license under the State of California. After 31.5 years of service, she retired from the IRS on December 31, 2017 as SeniorAppeals Team Manager overseeing tax settlements proposed by Appeals Officers covering the counties of Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego. During her years with the IRS, she also held the positions of Revenue Agent, Tax Computation Specialist, Appeals Officer, Technical Advisor to the Area Director,National Office Senior Tax Analyst and Program Manager. In addition, she performed collateral assignments as coach, on-the-job and classroom instructor, tax course and CPE developer, tax mediator, wounded warrior recruiter,Taxpayer Advocate Service liaison, officer ofAsian Pacific Internal Revenue Employees,yearly participant of the UCLA Tax Controversy Institute, authored sections of the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM), and established the Appeals TEFRA Team (under the Tax Equityand Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982), as well as authored the TEFRA IRM section and Procedure Guide.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (949) 370-6519

Joan Sickafoose

Assistant Secretary

Joan Sickafoose moved to California in 2015 from San Pablo City, Philippines. She is currently working as Data Analyst for one of the largest value-added brand manufacturers in the mobile industry. Joan studied Industrial Engineering in PUP Santo Tomas Extension and had experiences in different types of businesses including but not limited to automobile, medical, manufacturing, and aerospace industries.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone:

Marie Menchavez

Auditor

E-mail:
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Linda Cruz Abad-Santos

Assistant to VP – Goals & Planning

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (626) 622-5770

Virginia Herbito

Assistant to VP – Ways & Means

Virginia Cerdon Herbito was born in Nabua, Camarines Sur, Bicol. She was raised in Daraga, Albay and attended elementary and high school in Legazpi City. She is an alumni of the Philippine College of Commerce in Associate of Commerce (1969-1970). She worked as a secretary for the National Bookstore in Manila and married former Manila Bulletin columnist Ben Quirol Herbito. They immigrated to the United States in the late 70s and settled in Los Angeles to raise their two daughters. Virginia attended Los Angeles City College (1987-1988) for paralegal studies. For 35 years, she worked in the civil sector as a Senior Typist Clerk for the Los Angeles County Probation Department and retired in 2015. In the past decade, Virginia actively served the Filipino-American community in Los Angeles by hosting scholars, artists, cultural practitioners and healers. She helps to organize cultural events that promote the unique and beautiful traditions of her motherland. Now, she enjoys being with family and friends, traveling to sacred sites, dancing, and tending to her home garden.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (323) 791-3151

Connie Arellano-Acosta

Assistant to VP – Public Relations

Connie Acosta was a supervisor nurse at the Medical Clinic in PUP since 1970-1984. Now she works for Kaiser for 27 years as a Dysplasia Nurse and also works for Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center as per diem. Connie has four children and they are all married. One lives in Texas. Her future goal is to be active and to have good health so she can serve humanity better.

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (323) 854-5303

Larsen Gaetos

Assistant to VP – Social Media

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Rick Colindres II

Webmaster

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