MANILA, Philippines – The Pasig Metropolis authorities below Mayor Vico Sotto has secured $1 million (P57.77 million) in funding to transform underused rivers and creeks right into a community of floating parks.
It was one of many 24 cities, out of 630 candidates, that gained within the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2025–2026 Mayors Problem.
The Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Problem is a world initaitive that seeks to assist cities develop modern options to deal with native points. Grants are given yearly.
The grant will fund Pasig Metropolis’s proposal to construct modular public areas alongside the Pasig River to deal with the shortage of accessible, open areas within the densely populated metropolis.
“Via the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Problem, the Metropolis Authorities of Pasig will deal with the shortage of open, usable areas by way of floating parks alongside our historic river,” Mayor Sotto stated in an announcement.
Past merely creating new parks, town needs residents to participate in “designing, constructing, and managing or working these parks — and never simply be mere guests,” Sotto stated.
The floating constructions may additionally host important companies corresponding to well being clinics and libraries.
In September 2025, Pasig unveiled a prototype floating park constructed on a barge. The pilot construction demonstrated how the platforms may operate as playgrounds, pocket parks, gardens, or multipurpose group areas.
Within the coming months, Pasig Metropolis will finalize designs and begin constructing the floating parks and riverside easements. Town may also proceed consultations with communities to ascertain a Parks Governance Council, constructing on insights from earlier prototyping workshops, and companion with the personal sector to increase the mission’s impression.
Except for the $1 million grant, Pasig may also obtain operational help and extra funding for devoted workers concerned on this mission.
The COVID-19 pandemic uncovered Metro Manila’s scarcity of open areas, particularly when social distancing was required.
Pasig was shortlisted from greater than 630 purposes, and chosen from amongst 50 that developed prototypes throughout the finalist part.
Except for Pasig, the opposite profitable cities are:
- As-Salt, Jordan
- Barcelona, Spain
- Beira, Mozambique
- Belfast, United Kingdom
- Benin Metropolis, Nigeria
- Boise, United States
- Budapest, Hungary
- Cape City, South Africa
- Cartagena, Colombia
- Fez, Morocco
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Ghaziabad, India
- Ghent, Belgium
- Kanifing, The Gambia
- Lafayette, United States
- Medellín, Colombia
- Netanya, Israel
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- South Bend, United States
- Surabaya, Indonesia
- Toronto, Canada
- Turku, Finland
- Visakhapatnam, India.
Different Philippine cities, particularly Naga Metropolis in Camarines Sur and Cauayan Metropolis in Isabela, additionally made it to the highest 50 world finalists of the competitors. – Rappler.com
