Mr. Rustico Recto Jr
Gawad Alumni, or the Blessed Br. Arnould Reche FSC Distinguished Alumni Award, was conferred to Rustico V. Recto, Jr. (church involvement, community service and environment category), HS '70, a philanthropist and currently the president of the Rural Bank of San Antonio as one of the six awardees of 2013 Gawad Alumni. This year's awardees, together with families, friends, and DLSL's administrators, convened at the awarding ceremony held April 4, 2013 at the Diokno Auditorium of Sen. Jose Diokno Hall.
For the past 14 years, he has been a member of the Finance Councils of the Archdiocese of Lipa and the Cathedral Parish of San Sebastian, Lipa City, playing a key role in the prudent management of the Church's financial resources and properties. In many instance, his ideas and recommendation were adopted, resulting to Archdiocese's significantly improved financial condition. Through his initiative during his presidency of Limacor Lending Investor, it donated three hectares of real property at Talisay, Lipa City and P 75,000.00 to Gawad Kalinga. As Chairman of the Board and President of Rural Bank of San Antonio, he also contributed P 500,000 to build 10 houses in Assumption Village, Banay-Banay, Padre Garcia, Batangas.
In his birthplace in P. Garcia, he donated the modern sound system and is a regular contributor for the renovation of the Parish of Our Lady of Sto. Rosario. He was a prime collaborator in building the exquisite Parish Church of St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Talisay, Lipa City. He is also a benefactor of many parishes and church affairs. He sponsored the high school and college tuition fee of children of some relatives and friends from his hometown early on in his professional life. In 1993, he have funds to Pansol National High School for the teachers' pay when he learned the they have not yet received their salaries from DepEd. He formalized the smattering of scholarship assistance when he formed the Leonora V. Recto Aral-Tulong-Eskwela Scholarship Program in honor of his mother - a former teacher.
He has been very supportive of other educational endeavors. He gave substantial contributions to the Foundation for Sharing Lasallian Education (FSLE) headed by the late Br. Rafael Donato, FSC. During his term in RI District 3820 Governor, his monumental program was the One Life, One Shelter, One Livelihood project wherein each club chose a poor family to sponsor, provided their own decent home and stable sources of livelihood. He also initiated the construction of Bukal Waterworks System in P. Garcia through the Rotary Foundation. The project provided safe and potable water to about 300 families.