MANILA, Philippines — Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto joined more than 100 global city leaders at the Bloomberg CityLab 2026 held from April 27 to 29 in Madrid, Spain, where Pasig was also recognized as one of the winners of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge 2025-2026.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the city government said the summit—organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the Aspen Institute—featured discussions and collaborative sessions on addressing urban challenges.
Pasig was among 24 cities selected from over 630 entries worldwide for its proposal to develop co-designed and co-managed floating parks aimed at addressing the lack of open and green spaces.
The city said the project came with a $1 million grant, as well as technical assistance and dedicated personnel to support implementation.
However, city officials clarified that the grant would not be directly received in cash by the local government or the mayor.
“Technically, we won’t be able to handle the grant directly. It will go through the UNDP system, so it will come to us in kind,” the city government told The Manila Times, referring to the United Nations Development Programme.
The clarification comes amid reports that Mayor Sotto went to Madrid to claim the million-dollar grant.
The local government added that participation in CityLab also gave its representatives access to global experts and innovation platforms, including discussions on river-focused solutions under the summit’s programming.
