A river once seen largely as a boundary may soon become a shared public space after Pasig City secured international backing for an urban innovation project.
Pasig has been chosen as one of 24 cities worldwide to win the 2025–2026 Mayors Challenge of Bloomberg Philanthropies, earning a $1 million grant and technical assistance to expand its plan for floating parks along the Pasig River. The city stands as the sole Philippine recipient in a group representing 20 countries and serving more than 35 million people combined.
City officials said the funding will help advance the development of modular park spaces that will sit on the water, designed to bring communities closer to the river while addressing the shortage of accessible public areas. The initiative also places emphasis on involving residents in shaping and maintaining the spaces.
“But more than building parks, we want to do this in a way that models participatory governance. We want Pasigueños involved, from designing and building to managing these parks, not just as visitors,” Mayor Vico Sotto said on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
According to Sotto, the award will allow the local government to enhance its planning systems and broaden engagement with stakeholders to ensure the long-term viability of its development programs.
The proposal underwent significant revisions during the competition process. What began as a plan to establish a comprehensive parks blueprint eventually shifted toward testing floating park models after consultations revealed strong public support for river-based open spaces.
Pasig emerged from a pool of more than 630 cities that submitted entries globally. As a finalist in the previous stage of the competition, it had received $50,000 to pilot and refine its concept in partnership with community members.
Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and former mayor of New York City, said the challenge supports cities that are “bold, creative and proactive in solving problems and meeting residents’ needs.”
