PASIG City Mayor Vico Sotto has returned after nearly three weeks of official travel abroad, where he said he studied European Union governance and accountability systems and reinforced the city’s push for expanded public open spaces.
Speaking during the city government’s flag-raising ceremony on Monday, Sotto said his trip included participation in Bloomberg CityLab 2026 in Madrid, Spain, followed by meetings in Belgium under the European Union Visitors Program (EUVP).
He said he met with officials from the European Court of Auditors, the European Anti-Fraud Office, and the European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control, where he said he learned about governance and budget accountability practices that could be studied for application in the Philippines.
Sotto said the EUVP was originally scheduled separately but was moved to follow his Bloomberg CityLab engagement at his request, allowing both activities to be completed in one overseas trip.
At Bloomberg CityLab 2026, Sotto said Pasig City was among 24 winning cities in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge 2025–2026, selected from more than 600 cities worldwide.
He said the recognition was tied to the city’s floating parks initiative and broader efforts to address the lack of public open spaces in the densely built-up city.
Sotto said the initiative is not limited to proposed floating parks in Barangay Sumilang and San Joaquin, but is part of a wider effort to expand and improve parks, playgrounds and public plazas across Pasig.
He said developed countries tend to have more open spaces, which he said should also be prioritized in urban development in highly urbanized cities like Pasig.
He added that the city government is working with various offices, including the City Parks Office and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, on ongoing rehabilitation projects, including improvements at the Maybunga Rainforest Park.
