Vico Sotto's Pasig Just Won $1 Million From Bloomberg for Building Floating Parks on the River

Pasig City just leveled up big time. Mayor Vico Sotto's floating parks initiative — yes, actual parks that float on the Pasig River — has won a $1 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, beating out more than 630 cities from around the world. It's the kind of flex that makes you proud to be Pinoy.

The project, called "Hope Floats," started as a prototype where residents actually got to board a retrofitted barge and help design the parks themselves. Kids sketched playground ideas, adults pitched videoke stations and night markets, and city engineers used all that feedback to figure out the technical side. It's community-driven urban planning at its finest.

Twenty-five Philippine cities joined the 2025-2026 Bloomberg Mayors Challenge, with Pasig emerging as one of 24 global winners. Naga City and Cauayan City also made it to the top 50, which is a solid showing for the Philippines. Bloomberg Philanthropies praised Pasig's approach, saying the city "isn't just designing a solution for residents — it is building one with them."

The winning plan calls for a network of floating parks covering about 700 square meters, with modular circular platforms and a converted barge that can carry up to 250 people. The parks will also have built-in wetlands to help filter the river water and retention systems to reduce flooding. Plus, a resident-led Parks Governance Council will co-manage everything — so it's not just government deciding for the people.

If this works, it could be a model for flood-prone cities across the country. Instead of fighting the water, Pasig is literally building on top of it. Magaling, Mayor Vico.

Source: The Manila Times