Part 2/14:

At the heart of the dispute are the livelihoods of fishermen like 47-year-old Bobong La Muado from the Philippines. For over 25 years, Bobong has relied on fishing within the western Philippine Sea, mainly near Scarborough Shoal—an area lying within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Traditionally, Filipino fishermen could harvest abundant marine resources and sustain their families. However, the presence of large Chinese fishing fleets backed by coast guard vessels has drastically changed this landscape.