ACDI MPC’s Patrick Rico brings home UK Youth & Leadership awards
MANCHESTER, England – ACDI MPC Assistant Head for Operations Patrick Rico brings home the Edward Filene Young Credit Union Leader Award given yearly by the International Credit Union Leadership Development & Education Foundation (ICULDEF). At a simple dinner on November 23, ICULDEF awarded the title to Mr. Rico, recognizing his contributions to the Philippine co-op sector as an employee of what is arguably the largest co-op in the Philippines in terms of Assets – ACDI MPC.
ACDI MPC is an institutional cooperative serving members from the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other uniformed personnel. Members include those who are in active service, retirees, those in the reserve forces, regular civilian employees of the AFP and Philippine Coast Guard. ACDI has 122 offices nationwide serving its more than 200,000 members.
Rico also took home runner-up honors in the Biden Development Educator of the Year award, after Paglaum MPC CEO and founder, Gadwin Handumon.
The term “Development Educators” is defined by the ICULDEF as “natural pathfinders of the Co-operative . . . movement (who) see a societal need and endeavour to satisfy it.”
But more than just vision and willingness to work, they should have “sheer natural exuberance and passion (to) create a slipstream and they pull others along with them to fulfil a project. This demonstrates leadership skillsets through example, far more potent than by authority alone.”
A second award was given to the young leader: the
A native of Floridablanca, Pampanga, Mr. Rico has gone a long way.
After graduation in 2013 at the Polytechnic University, he worked at the KILOS! PUP. Then he transferred to the PUP Alumni Association.
It was not until 2017 when he joined the ACDI MPC team as Assistant Head of Operations . Then did his adventure begin.
To boost his knowledge while working in ACDI MPC, he enrolled in the PUP for a Doctorate in Business Administration.
Mr. Rico has a succession perspective for the co-operative sector, as he posted in Facebook account: “May God bless the cooperative sector in the Philippines with more youth leaders who will sustain the movement, continue its advocacy for uplifting lives and communities, and bring the ector to greater heights! Mabuhay!”
He also has a vision for the long-term, though not exactly concrete: “”You’re now going further than where you came from. You’re now entering into a season of open doors. You’re now moving into a series of breakthroughs and miracles after miracles. Faith means you have to move. Deeper, higher, further.”
Mr. Rico is concurrently the National Events Director at Samahan ng Kabataang Boluntaryo ng Pilipinas (Association of Young Volunteers of the Philippines).