MANILA, Philippines — Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno on Wednesday led the opening of a one-hectare public green space in Pandacan, Manila, for senior citizens, pet owners, and local residents.
Speaking to reporters during an ambush interview, Moreno said the Senior Citizens' Park and Pet Park was funded through joint contributions from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Office of the President, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the City Government of Manila.
The park uses rainwater from the Skyway drainage lines, which is then recycled to water the plants surrounding the park.
Moreno confirmed that the local government would manage security and maintenance on a 24-hour basis.
Meanwhile, access infrastructure includes pedestrian traffic signals, a measure that is credited by Isko to the MMDA Chairman Don Artes, alongside direct footbridge connections and designated visitor parking.
The mayor said the new park was part of a larger city plan to turn empty lots into green spaces and plant 100,000 bamboo trees.
Responding to reporters about recent flooding, Moreno pointed to Executive Order 3, a policy requiring all 896 villages (barangay) to clean their drainage systems every Saturday. He credited these weekly cleanups over the past year for preventing severe, widespread flooding during recent typhoons.
