The First Community Cooperative (FICCO) was originally named as Ateneo Credit Union (ACU) and was later on changed to what is now known as First Community Cooperative (FICCO) for (2) reasons: (1) The Ateneo Credit Union was the First Credit Union organized in the Province of Misamis Oriental and the entire Mindanao; and (2) the cooperative has grown from a school credit union, confined within the Ateneo Campus, to a Community Cooperative, open to serve the people of Cagayan de Oro City. It was organized on July 8, 1954 through the inspiration of Rev. Fr. William F. Masterson, SJ. It was organized by fifteen (15) pioneers, most of whom belong to the faculty and personnel faculty and personnel of the then Ateneo de Cagayan, now Xavier University. They gave a total share capital of P26.30. Now, FICCO has a total membership of more than 408,000, and has opened 104 offices all over the country. What started as a small, closed-type credit union, the First Community Cooperative (FICCO) is now into helping cooperative rural banks get back on their feet. This unprecedented move of resurrecting a dead bank is anchored purely on the desire to help a distressed coop, as well as the bank’s depositors. Getting some returns on the investment may take some time considering the bank’s recent history and hazy image. FICCO hopes that its involvement will hasten the emancipation of this usually neglected sector. Uplifting their economic status and bringing them to the mainstream is a challenge FICCO will always take. It is in this area that the coop has a lot of practice. The high satisfaction among the members is “infectious”. Through word of mouth, the FICCO aura spreads within and among communities. It is this kind of public acceptance that positions FICCO to become a “rescuer” of coop banks. It has been sixty-eight (69) years since the pioneers were inspired to organize a credit union, inspired by Christian value of service. Hence, FICCO’s motto is “Not for Profit, not for Charity, but for Service.” It has been a long and rough road. However, FICCO waded through the challenges. FICCO is proud of its strong and democratically-based organization, with a social dimension. This is brought about through the efforts of its members who willingly risked their hard-earned money by sheer faith and trust in one another, their trust to their leaders, their willingness to serve and be served through hard work and sacrifice, and their participation in decision-making. What propelled its growth is actually its unique culture that upholds or emphasizes quality service, prudent stewardship, integrity, transparency, low-cost/high return operations, and volunteerism among others. This culture created a positive image of the coop that converted the FICCO name into a brand. The secret to FICCO’s success is its COMMITMENT. The commitment of the leaders, personnel, and the members to bring out the synergetic environment that propels its growth and success. This is the culture that pervades at FICCO. And this culture is what makes FICCO unique.