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.