Philippines-Climate justice activists rallied in force on Monday, April 21, staging simultaneous protests outside the World Bank headquarters in Bonifacio Global City, and in Makati. Timed with the opening of the 2025 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the demonstrations denounced the institutions’ alleged role in propping up coal energy in the Philippines.
Carrying placards and chanting protest slogans, the groups took aim at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private-sector arm, for financing coal-fired power projects they say have wrecked ecosystems and displaced communities.
“By bankrolling coal, the IFC is complicit in worsening the climate crisis,” read a joint statement from the mobilizing organizations. “Communities on the frontlines are paying the price.”
The action drew support from a coalition of national and local groups, including the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), Kilusan para sa Kabuhayan, Kalusugan, Kalikasan at Katiyakan sa Paninirahan (K4K-QC), Partido Lakas Masa (PLM), Aniban ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (AMA), and Zone One Tondo Organization (ZOTO). Residents from coal-affected provinces, notably Bataan and Batangas, were also present.
Photos by Lei Ventenilla
