Sibuyan Island is an oceanic island that has never been connected to any adjacent islands even during the Pleistocene. It is the second largest island of Romblon province and considered to be the “Galapagos of Asia” due to its rich biodiversity and high level of endemism. At the heart of the island is Mt. Guiting-Guiting, which is recognized as a key biodiversity area that shelters approximately 700 vascular plant species and 54 island plant endemics. However, most of the floristic surveys conducted were about trees, and knowledge about the understory species is lacking. Despite of its rich biodiversity, the island is facing immense threats from illegal logging and mining.

The project will provide the first baseline data about the family Araceae. A checklist of the endemic, native and introduced species will be provided, which will also include notes on their ecological and economic use. Furthermore, description of new species will also be highlighted if present, and new geographic distribution records of endemic species will be reported. Upon completion of the inventory, a booklet on the Aroid Flora of Sibuyan Island will be produced to serve as guide to locals, students, researchers as well as the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), particularly the management of Mt. Guiting-guiting Natural Park. The booklet will be published with corresponding Filipino translation for effective communication with the locals.

It is also our goal to reach out and educate people since it is also one of the vital indicators of this project's success and continuity. Park rangers and staff of the protected area, Teachers and students from the island's university will be imparted with field and herbarium techniques. Therefore, this could assist in generating more data with more researchers coming from the local people of Sibuyan Island.