ROBERT CHRISTIAN GILAYO
Human Resources/Administrative Office
Robert, Rob, Bert, or Bob as his friends would call him is a mental health advocate. Being an alumnus of the Ateneo de Davao University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, he advocates for the destigmatization of mental health and the need for counseling/therapy in navigating debilitating and difficult life situations. Being a student leader, he has been part of various organizations active in academic and community engagement. He also joined different student-led initiatives that emphasize the importance of sociopolitical consciousness, peace, nation-building, social justice, gender equality, upholding human rights, extending to the protection of the marginalized, and most significantly, the environment.
Growing up, his family would visit their farm in the humid and windy Pinaring, Sultan Kudarat, in Maguindanao. There, his grandparents planted, grew, and harvested rice, cacao, coffee beans, and different types of fruits and vegetables. All of which were grown organically, without the need for chemicals or fertilizers. They have their water well where residents near the area can enjoy the groundwater for free. And when there was a surplus of fruits and vegetables that were harvested, he and his sisters would sell it in their home in the city, earning extra money intended for their “baon” in school. At a young age, he knew that a farmer’s life wasn’t easy and what you make was just enough to get by and make a living. Seeing his grandparents enjoy their simple farm life made him realize the need for better crop protection in agriculture, especially if there’s extreme weather conditions/events caused by climate change which inflicts huge damage on crops, ultimately resulting in losses in time, money, and effort . This is why when IDIS opened the position of Human Resources Administrative Officer, Robert grabbed the opportunity.
He believes in the organization’s advocacies, which mainly protect and care for the environment, could help a lot in furthering his advocacy. He hopes to contribute to IDIS, believing that its vision, mission, and goals will help champion and prioritize positive environmental change in the long run.