Dumaguete City, Philippines — A fisherman paddles out to sea as dusk settles on Negros Island in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. Negros is a volcanic island with an agriculturally based economy and a population of about 3.7 million people.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Hersley Ven Casero

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38421

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Zamboanguita Philippines — Fish peddlers at a weekly gathering of farmers and fishermen sell the catch of the day in Zamboanguita. Fisheries are vital to the Philippines -- providing a livelihood for some 2 million people. However, fish stocks are rapidly depleting throughout the islands.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Alma Alcoran

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38422

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Tanjay, Philippines — Farm laborers winnow rice by hand in the paddies around the village of Tanjay. Rice is a staple of life in much of Asia. Data indicate that rice consumption is fast outstripping production. The cause: rapid population growth throughout the region, including the Philippines.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Alma Alcoran

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38423

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Dumaguete City, Philippines — A fruit vendor and child take a water break beside their mobile stand in Dumaguete City, the capital of Negros Oriental province. About 35% of the Philippine population is under the age of 14. The population of the Philippines is growing about 2% annually.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38424

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Dumaguete City, Philippines — A woman sells handmade brooms on the sidewalk in downtown Dumaguete City. More than 30 million Filipinos are reportedly living in poverty, with many not even making the minimum daily wage of about $2.50.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Hersley Ven Casero

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38425

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Sibulan, Philippines — A man hoists a girl up to a statue of St. Anthony of Padua during ritual offerings on the 13th of each month in the seaside town of Sibulan. Eighty percent of Filipinos are Catholic, many devout -- and the number of pilgrims lighting candles in the grottoes of Sibulan is said to double when the 13th happens to fall on a Friday. St. Anthony of Padua is known as the patron saint of lost items.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38426

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Tanjay, Philippines — A farmhand uses the breeze to separate grains of rice from chaff in the fields around the farming town of Tanjay. The International Rice Research Institute reported that farmers throughout Asia must produce 38 million more tons of unmilled rice annually by 2015 in order to meet demand.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Hersley Ven Casero

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38427

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Pulang Bato, Philippines — Hikers walk across the rapids of a stream in the village of Pulang Bato in the mountains of Negros Island. Pulang Bato means red stone in the Visayan dialect.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Hersley Ven Casero

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38428

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Zamboanguita, Philippines — A crowd looks on as a man peddles potions at a weekly gathering of farmers and fishermen in Zamboanguita. Most Filipinos receive little healthcare, and many are unfamiliar with medicines that often are too expensive for them. Homemade remedies commonly promise to cure physical ailments and ward off evil spirits.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Alma Alcoran

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38429

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Sibulan, Philippines — A girl kisses the well-worn legs of a statue of Jesus in the Cathedral of Sibulan. Most Filipinos are devoted Catholics, and many feel the need to touch religious icons in church settings in order to have their prayers answered.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38430

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Dumaguete City, Philippines — A girl holds a guitar while sitting on a motorbike in the central public market of Dumaguete. Education is mandatory until the seventh grade. Recent government reports, however, indicate that most people do not get more than five years of schooling.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Alma Alcoran

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38431

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Dumaguete City, Philippines — Women share a light moment at a beauty shop, where a Westernized rendition of Asian feminine allure hangs on the wall to advertise hair products.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Hersley Ven Casero

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38432

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Palanguyon, Philippines — A farmworker sifts and bags unmilled rice. In a country with little agricultural mechanization, the planting, growing and harvesting of rice have long been back-breaking work performed by peasants.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38433

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Dumaguete City, Philippines — A child rides a bicycle on the seafront mudflats of Dumaguete City, near a fish trap decorated with brightly colored flags.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Hersley Ven Casero

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38434

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Dumaguete City, Philippines — A ferry completes a late-afternoon crossing of the Tanon Strait from the island of Cebu to Negros. The rugged highlands of Negros were formed by volcanic action, and one volcano remains active today.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38435

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Dumaguete City, Philippines — A couple gather sea snails and mollusks on the rocky shore of Dumaguete. About 75% of the nation's coral reefs have been destroyed, even though the population relies on fisheries for survival. Food security in the country is inevitably tied to the health and sustainability of the surrounding seas.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38436

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Dumaguete City, Philippines — Traffic flows through the intersection of Colon and Perdices streets in Dumaguete, which has earned the dubious distinction as the Philippines' motorbike capital. About 30,000 motorcycles are registered in the city as a flood of Chinese-made imports has made two-wheel transportation affordable for many.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Hersley Ven Casero

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38437

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Dumaguete City, Philippines — A girl is framed by offertory candles at a Catholic church in Negros. The church exerts strong influence over Philippine politics and government. Most recently, the clergy is trying to block legislation that would make reproductory information, contraception and birth control methods more readily accessible to the general public.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Hersley Ven Casero

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38438

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Dumaguete City, Philippines — The moon rises over the Tanon Strait beyond the rocky shoreline of Dumaguete's port.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Hersley Ven Casero

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=38439

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