An active youth leader, Richie is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Commission. He is also President of the Sangguniang Kabataan Alumni Association (SKAA). He enjoyed the confidence of youth leaders nationwide as President of the Sangguniang Kabataan National Federation from 1996 to 2002 while serving as the only two-term president of the Ilocos Norte SK Provincial Federation.

As National SK President, he founded the SK Academy and authored the nationwide Youth Smoking Prevention program and the SK Orientation Seminar on Public Accountability. Richie also served as Chairman of the Committee of Membership of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP). From 1996 to 2002, he also served as a youth representative to the Legislative Advisory Council (LEDAC) chaired by the Presidents of the Republic of the Philippines. He is also a Jaycee Senator of the Junior Chamber International, Inc. from 2002-present.

Aside from the Youth Smoking Prevention Program, he is also spearheading the book donation drive for public schools or community libraries dubbed as the “Free Books for the Youth” and he organized the Youth Legal Aid Program, which seeks to provide legal assistance to those youth with meritorious cases who are deprived of their right to competent legal representation.

Richie graduated cum laude with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, and is a member of the UP Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He was awarded with the National Masikap Award for his indefatigable initiatives towards serving the youth.

Before being appointed as Chairman of National Youth Commission, Richie was invited by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as member of the Advocacy Commission for Charter Change.

Last May 2006, he was elected Chairman of the Committee on ASEAN Youth Cooperation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He will be serving a 2 year term.