Researchers of the Iloilo based Southeast Asian Fisheries Development CenterAquaculture Department (Seafdec-AQD), including Primavera, first took notice of the pristine mangroves of Ibajay in 1996 while conducting field work there. This was followed by a series of further researches, consultations, training sessions and workshops with the community and the local government. In 2008, the municipal government led by Mayor Ma. Lourdes Miraflores and supported by the Pew Fellowship Program funded the first segment of the footpath from the barangay road to the mangrove area. Implementation of the CMRP was also started. The Pew Fellowship Program in Marine Conservation based at the University of Miami in Florida is granted to individuals and teams globally who are working to protect and preserve marine species.

Burgos, N. P. Jr. (2010 July 24). An amazing walk in a Mangrove park. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A11.