Terms of Service

What this is

AskBantayan (askbantayan.ph) is a hyperlocal island guide for Bantayan Island, Cebu — covering Sta. Fe, Bantayan, and Madridejos. It's operated by CypherZero Software Development Services, based in the Philippines. By using the site or creating an account, you agree to these terms.

If you don't agree, please don't use the service. These terms may change from time to time (see "Changes" below).

Who can use it

• You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or submit content.
• Accounts are free. Sign-in is passwordless — either a one-time email code or a supported single-sign-on provider.
• One account per person. Don't impersonate anyone else, including fellow islanders or LGU staff.

Using Batad (the AI guide)

Batad is an AI assistant grounded in a curated knowledge base about Bantayan Island. It's useful — but it's not infallible.

• Always verify critical info. Ferry times, emergency numbers, business hours, and prices change. Confirm directly with the source when it matters.
• Batad is not a substitute for emergency services. For life-threatening situations, contact your nearest LGU hotline or the BFP / PNP / MDRRMO directly — numbers on the Hotlines page.
• Batad is not a licensed professional. Don't use it for legal, medical, financial, or other professional advice.
• Fair use. Guests get 5 messages/day; logged-in users get 30. Don't script or automate requests to bypass limits.

Content you submit

If you post a listing, review, photo, hidden gem, price report, forum thread, reply, lost-and-found item, classified, or job post — collectively, User Content — these rules apply:

• You keep ownership. You retain all rights to what you post.
• You grant us a license. By submitting, you grant AskBantayan a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, distribute, and aggregate your content on the site and in related features (like Batad's RAG context) while your content is live. This license ends when you delete the content or we remove it.
• You vouch for it. You confirm that you own the content (or have permission), that it's accurate to the best of your knowledge, and that it doesn't violate anyone else's rights.
• No private info about others. Don't post another person's phone number, address, photo, or other personal data without their consent.

What's not allowed

Common-sense rules. Don't:

• Post spam, scams, or misleading business listings.
• Harass, dox, or defame other users or businesses.
• Post illegal, obscene, or explicit content.
• Share content that infringes copyright, trademark, or other IP rights.
• Use the service to commit fraud or market illegal goods/services.
• Attempt to hack, scrape at scale, or otherwise abuse the infrastructure.
• Impersonate LGU staff, emergency responders, or anyone else.
• Claim a business listing that isn't yours (we verify via DTI/business permit).

Moderation

• Any logged-in user can flag content. Three independent flags auto-hide content pending review.
• High-risk content (forum posts, classifieds, hidden gems, photos) is queued for moderator review before going live.
• We may remove content, suspend features, or terminate accounts that violate these terms — usually with a warning first, immediately for severe violations.
• You can appeal a moderation decision by emailing us.

Business listings & claims

• Listings seeded by our team are publicly sourced and may contain errors. Any business owner can claim their listing by providing a DTI certificate or Mayor's Permit.
• Verified business owners can manage their listing, respond to reviews, and use the AI FAQ builder.
• Paid/featured placement is not currently offered. If we introduce it later, it will be clearly labeled.

Service availability

We aim for high availability but don't guarantee it. The service may be temporarily unavailable for maintenance, upgrades, or due to infrastructure issues. We're a small team — typhoon season sometimes takes the servers as well as the island.

Island info changes. Ferry operators adjust schedules, businesses close for fiesta, roads wash out. We do our best to keep the knowledge base current but can't guarantee real-time accuracy.

Disclaimers

The service is provided "as is" and "as available". To the fullest extent permitted by Philippine law, we disclaim all warranties — express or implied — including fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, and non-infringement.

Specifically, and worth repeating: AskBantayan is not a substitute for official LGU announcements, emergency services, or professional advice. Always verify critical information with authoritative sources.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither CypherZero Software Development Services, its operator, nor any contributors shall be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages — or any loss of profits, revenues, data, or goodwill — arising from your use of the service. Direct damages are limited to ₱0 since the service is free to use.

Third-party services

The site relies on a small number of third-party infrastructure providers — an AI service, a single-sign-on provider, an email delivery provider, a map-tile provider, and a cloud host. Their terms and privacy policies apply when you interact with those services through our site. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Intellectual property

The AskBantayan name, logo, Batad persona, site design, and codebase are property of CypherZero Software Development Services. Knowledge-base content derived from open data sources (including OpenStreetMap and public government records) is used under their respective licenses and remains the property of those contributors.

Account termination

You can delete your account at any time (see your Account settings, or email us). We can suspend or terminate your account for violations of these terms, with notice except in cases of severe abuse.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. Disputes will be resolved in the courts of Cebu, Philippines, unless required otherwise by law.

Changes to these terms

We'll update this page if the terms change. Material changes will be announced via email (if you have an account) and a landing-page banner for at least 14 days. The "Last updated" date at the top stays current.

Contact

Questions, reports of abuse, or legal notices? Email support@askbantayan.ph or reach the developer directly at dev@cypherzero.dev.