A great person named Dr. Angel Alcala started all the effort of successful marine conservation program in the Apo Island nowadays. Dr. Alcala resided to Apo Island in the year 1951 as one of a student of Silliman University. Later on he became the head of the marine laboratory program at Silliman University.

As the head of the said program, Alcala was in a position to started the formerly "revolutionary" idea of marine sanctuaries. Apo and Sumilon, the two islands locations that were chosen wayback in 1982.

Unfortunately, because of local politics and a lack of vision, Sumilon Island demised as a viable marine sanctuary. At present, environmentalists were learned from the faults of Sumilon, and it is beginning to recover slowly but surely.

The history of Liberty Pascobello, the former Chief of the island, in the conservation on Apo Island also returned back to the starting of the marine sanctuary program in 1982. A loving mother of Liberty, formerly a Barangay Chief, was the matriarch for Apo Island for over twenty years, before she passed away in 1979.

The family tradition of protecting the Apo Island exists today, as her brothers, Mario and Chester, the present day Barangay Chief and the leader of the "Bantay Dagat", respectively, continue to work for sustaining Apo Island for the next generation.

At present time, the people of Apo Island continue helping to protect its natural environment, ecology and cultures and traditions, which together make the Apo Island very beautiful and one of its kind.