Pasig City launches prototype floating park for sustainable open space
The local government of Pasig on Saturday, Sept. 20, launched a prototype floating park concept to create new and sustainable open spaces for everyone, especially children and elders in the city.
The prototype floating park launched by the Pasig City government aims to provide more open spaces for everyone, especially children and senior citizens. (Photo from Mayor Vico Sotto)
Mayor Vico Sotto said the initiative is part of the city’s entry to the 2025 Bloomberg Mayors Challenge, an international competition that recognizes cities worldwide for innovative solutions to common urban problems.
It tested the prototype on a barge in San Joaquin Ferry Station, which may be designed into a playground, pocket park, garden, multipurpose area, and more.
In addition to the floating park, the design also includes extensions of cantilevered linear parks, with an underground cistern for rainwater storage.
The mayor said it aims to reconnect people with open spaces, instead of being restricted to walls or revetment structures, while ensuring the river’s flow is not disrupted. He noted that Pasig has almost no remaining open space.
With this initiative, Sotto emphasized the importance of the team’s ongoing community consultation with barangay officials and residents, which gathers their insights and suggestions.
In June 2025, Pasig was named one of three Philippine cities as a global finalist in the challenge, together with Naga City and Cauayan in Isabela.
It joins 47 other cities worldwide that were also selected for developing ideas aimed at improving how local governments serve their people.
In early 2026, 25 cities will be chosen to receive $1 million each to implement their projects.