Today, NTFP-EP remembers the passing of the late Pastor Delbert Rice. His work with indigenous people, especially the Ikalahan of Nueva Vizcaya with whom he began working in 1965 has been instrumental to the development of community-based forestry not just in the Philippines but around the world. As a board member, Pastor Rice has always exemplified leadership, patience, and diligence. His respect for culture and tradition has always guided NTFP-EP’s values. 

In honour of Pastor’s invaluable contribution to upland ecology, researcher S.W. James named a newly discovered species of earthworm in his honour.

“Archipheretima ricei sp. n. The Rev. Delbert Rice is an American missionary (retired) who, while serving the people of Imugan, established the Kalahan Foundation and some forest reserves in the area. The Rev. Rice deserves great credit for protecting some of the last remnants of the forest of the Caraballo Mountains, a transverse range crossing northern Luzon. This species is named in his honour” (James, 2009).