Jonila Castro

Jonila Castro is a Filipino woman human rights defender, serving as a community organizer at the local group Alliance for the Defense of Livelihood, Housing, and Environment in Manila Bay, known as Akap Ka Manila Bay. She is recognized for her activism against human and environmental rights violations caused by land reclamation projects in Manila Bay, including the construction of the US $15 billion New Manila International Airport (NMIA). Since the project received approval in September 2019, it has led to the displacement of hundreds of families, destruction of climate-critical habitats, and devastation of wildlife, as highlighted in a 2023 report by Global Witness.