Dr. Bantayan holds a PhD in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Melbourne (1996). He earned his MSc on Ergonomics of Forestry Operations (Social Forestry) from the Wageningen Research University (1990).

He is the current Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension in the University of the Philippines Los Banos, while also being a professor of forestry at the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, College of Forestry and Natural Resources.

His research interests include precision forestry, GIS-based biodiversity resource assessment, monitoring and evaluation, development of decision support system and tools, early warning system, and watershed management planning and forest inventory and assessment.

He is a University Scientist and was Director and Park Manager of the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (2012-2017) that manages the Mt Makiling Forest Reserve. He wrote a seminal book on GIS that is being used as the textbook for GIS in environment, forestry and natural resources.

Dr. Bantayan is an accomplished researcher counting more than 20 research programs and projects to his name. He has co-authored ten books; more than 50 papers and journals and attended international conferences in USA, Europe, and Asia, most notably a first-of-its-kind book on GIS applications in the Philippines.