Efren Forones (center) and his fellow fishermen embark on the 38-hour trip to fishing grounds around the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
Arduous journey —
Efren Forones (center) and his fellow fishermen embark on the 38-hour trip to fishing grounds around the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
Tomas Etzler/CNN
It's a tough life with the men working, eating and sleeping on these rickety boats hundreds of miles from home.
Eat, sleep, work —
It's a tough life with the men working, eating and sleeping on these rickety boats hundreds of miles from home.
Tomas Etzler/CNN
Like many of his fellow fisherman from the Philippines island of Luzon, Forones does not catch what he needs to in order to survive.
Slim pickings —
Like many of his fellow fisherman from the Philippines island of Luzon, Forones does not catch what he needs to in order to survive.
Tomas Etzler/CNN
With many fishermen struggling to make ends meet, their families in modest communities such as Masinloc suffer.
Tough life —
With many fishermen struggling to make ends meet, their families in modest communities such as Masinloc suffer.
Tomas Etzler/CNN
Like many small towns on Luzon, Masinloc is almost completely dependent on the fishing industry, according to the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Life dependency —
Like many small towns on Luzon, Masinloc is almost completely dependent on the fishing industry, according to the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Tomas Etzler/CNN
Many families are having to consider leaving the region to search for a better life.
Exit strategy —
Many families are having to consider leaving the region to search for a better life.
Tomas Etzler/CNN
And this is what it's all about: A team of lawmakers plant a Philippines flag on a tiny rock at the Scarborough Shoal on May 17 last year.
Rocky times —
And this is what it's all about: A team of lawmakers plant a Philippines flag on a tiny rock at the Scarborough Shoal on May 17 last year.
Jess Yuson/AFP/Getty Images