CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival said Monday, April 13, 2026, that he will honor the council’s decision not to issue a cease and desist order (CDO) against the controversial Monterrazas de Cebu hillside development in Barangay Guadalupe, despite earlier recommendations from city environment and building officials to halt the project.
Archival said the council has its own reasons for ruling out a CDO for now, and he does not intend to overrule that position.
“The council has its own reason, and I would not object to that,” Archival said in a press conference.
Council resolution prevails
The mayor’s stance comes after the City Environment and Natural Resources Office and the Office of the Building Official flagged the project for alleged permit violations, including the absence of a special hauling permit and tree-cutting clearance. Both offices previously clarified that while they regulate environmental and building standards, the authority to issue a stop order rests solely with the mayor’s office.
Archival said he is unsure whether formal recommendations from the two offices have reached his desk.
“I don’t really know, I cannot find it,” he said. “It was already addressed earlier through a council resolution, and I don’t want to make another decision since there is already a recommendation coming from the council.”
The need for balance
The project in Guadalupe has drawn scrutiny over concerns about flooding in the area. Archival, however, said technical reports indicate the flooding cannot be blamed on a single development and warned that shutting down a business without careful review could harm the city’s broader interests.
“If we’re going to close a business just because of recommendations, what will happen to the city? We need to balance what should be done,” he said.
Instead of halting construction, Archival said the developer should be required to comply with mitigation measures, including building water catchment or detention systems.
“If Monterrazas is being asked to do certain measures, then they should comply. It is more advantageous to everybody,” he said.
The mayor also addressed Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s earlier remark that he would push to cancel the project if flooding continues.
“That is the pronouncement of the vice mayor,” Archival said.
Mont Property Group Inc., the developer behind Monterrazas de Cebu, has scheduled a press conference for April 15 to address what it calls misinformation circulating on social media and to provide its side of the issue.
In its invitation, the company described the City Council’s resolution declining to impose a CDO as “good news.” / CAV