About Us

Bayay Sibuyanon Inc. is an inter-generational convergence of Sibuyanons working to conserve, protect, rehabilitate and revive the ecological balance and cultural heritage of Sibuyan Island. Its work is rooted in the belief that care for the island must be shaped by the people who live there, including local communities and Indigenous Peoples whose knowledge, practices and relationship with the land are essential to Sibuyan’s future.

Registered in 2015, Bayay was formed by people whose environmental and community work dates back to 2005. Over the years, the organization has helped bring together residents, young people, Indigenous Peoples, local leaders, civil society groups and partner institutions around issues affecting Sibuyan’s forests, watersheds, biodiversity, coastal communities and cultural life.

Bayay works at the intersection of ecology, culture, community resilience and participatory governance. Its initiatives include biodiversity conservation, environmental education, youth formation, disaster and climate resilience, protection of natural and cultural heritage, and the strengthening of community and Indigenous Peoples’ participation in local and national environmental decision-making.

A central part of Bayay’s work is inter-generational formation. The organization seeks not only to respond to immediate environmental threats, but also to nurture new generations of Sibuyanon leaders who understand the island’s ecological significance, value its cultural identity, respect Indigenous knowledge and rights, and are prepared to take part in shaping its future.

Bayay also engages government agencies, development councils, protected-area mechanisms and international environmental processes so that local communities have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their environment, livelihoods, culture and collective future.