A Filipino man uses his gifts to promote organic rice cultivation.
By Fr. Oliver McCrossan

"These are all ‘my children.’ This is my life’s work!” Kapecs said with a smile as he showed me the 1,500 native varieties of rice seeds growing in his small paddy field.

To me, it just looked like another rice field.

“Over there,” said Kapecs, pointing to an empty space in the rice field, “the rats had a feast. You know they are very choosy in their tastes.”

Kapecs scares the rats away from his plants by painting an owl’s face on coconut palms and placing them in the rice field. “It works most of the time,” he said.

Kapecs lives and works in Happy Valley Village near the town of Tambulig—where Columbans had done parish work for many years—on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.

Perfecto Vicente was born in Manila in 1933, one of nine children, and is fondly known as Kapecs. His parents, in search of work, migrated to Manila from the province of Pangasinan in the early 1920s.

Kapecs graduated from a Philippine university with an agriculture degree in 1957. After graduation he taught soil science and did field studies for the university until 1964.

From 1964 until 1983, Kapecs worked with different agribusiness companies and organizations, engaged in modern, chemical-based agriculture. When Kapecs lost his hearing in 1980, his doctor told him that his deafness was caused by prolonged exposure to pesticides and chemicals. Kapecs has since used a hearing aid.

In 1983, Kapecs was invited to join a new organization called MASIPAG—a partnership between farmers and scientists whose aim is to help poor farm families develop sustainable agriculture systems. MASIPAG promotes organic, chemical-free agriculture and preserving native seed varieties.

“I joined MASIPAG because I saw that what I was doing was unfair to the farmers and very destructive to the environment,” Kapecs said.

“I realized the need to start empowering farmers and weaning them away from the harm brought about by heavy use of chemicals and heavy debt burdens. It was also a way for me to repay some of the damage I had done in my work in the past.”

Kapecs (right) explained the story of his rice fields to a local farmer.

Kapecs’ reputation is beginning to grow. Farmers come from all over Mindanao to learn what he can teach about chemical-free rice cultivation from planting to breeding. They return home with seeds to plant on their own farms.

I asked Kapecs why he gave up a successful teaching career to promote rice cultivation.

“I am not thrilled by success, but by the journey,” Kapecs told me. “Everybody knows something and is capable of sharing something. We do not diminish what we have when we give. I have always wanted to do something that was not commonly done; that is my view of life. I like the challenge. The Lord has given me this mission.”

Kapecs is part of an ever-growing movement in the world that seeks to put the needs of people, communities and the environment before profits.

Rice has fed more people in Earth’s history than any other grain. It is intimately involved in the culture and food practices of many people. In many cultures, rice is considered a gift from God and is treated with reverence. Its cultivation is often tied to elaborate rituals.

I was about to leave Kapec’s company when he stopped me.

“Wait a moment,” he said. He then produced a big bowl of steaming rice for me. Delicious and organic, of course!