Climate advocates staged a creative protest in Makati’s business district to denounce Japanese megabanks and energy companies for allegedly fueling fossil fuel expansion across Asia. Protesters tied up anime-style “villain” figures with ropes, symbolizing growing public resistance to climate-destructive financing.
The mobilization was led by groups including the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), Asian Energy Network, PMCJ, and Sanlakas. It coincided with the annual meetings of Japan’s biggest banks—MUFG, SMBC, Mizuho—and energy firm JERA.
Similar coordinated actions took place in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan, where Japan is also backing controversial fossil fuel projects. Activists demanded a halt to Japanese funding of coal and gas and a shift toward genuine renewable energy. (Photos: Elmer Valenzuela
