Pasig’s floating parks get $1 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies: What you need to know

MANILA, Philippines – The Pasig City government under Mayor Vico Sotto has secured $1 million (P57.77 million) in funding to convert underused rivers and creeks into a network of floating parks.

It was one of the 24 cities, out of 630 applicants, that won in the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2025–2026 Mayors Challenge.

The Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge is a global initaitive that seeks to help cities develop innovative solutions to address local issues. Grants are given every year.

The grant will fund Pasig City’s proposal to build modular public spaces along the Pasig River to address the lack of accessible, open spaces in the densely populated city.

“Through the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge, the City Government of Pasig will address the lack of open, usable spaces through floating parks along our historical river,” Mayor Sotto said in a statement.

Beyond simply creating new parks, the city wants residents to take part in “designing, building, and managing or operating these parks — and not just be mere visitors,” Sotto said.

The floating structures could also host essential services such as health clinics and libraries.

In September 2025, Pasig unveiled a prototype floating park built on a barge. The pilot structure demonstrated how the platforms could function as playgrounds, pocket parks, gardens, or multipurpose community spaces.

In the coming months, Pasig City will finalize designs and start building the floating parks and riverside easements. The city will also continue consultations with communities to establish a Parks Governance Council, building on insights from earlier prototyping workshops, and partner with the private sector to expand the project’s impact.

Aside from the $1 million grant, Pasig will also receive operational support and additional funding for dedicated staff involved in this project.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed Metro Manila’s shortage of open spaces, especially when social distancing was required.

Pasig was shortlisted from more than 630 applications, and chosen from among 50 that developed prototypes during the finalist phase.

Aside from Pasig, the other winning cities are:

• As-Salt, Jordan
• Barcelona, Spain
• Beira, Mozambique
• Belfast, United Kingdom
• Benin City, Nigeria
• Boise, United States
• Budapest, Hungary
• Cape Town, 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.

Other Philippine cities, namely Naga City in Camarines Sur and Cauayan City in Isabela, also made it to the top 50 global finalists of the competition. – Rappler.com