CEBU City will continue to monitor and potentially penalize the developer of the Monterrazas de Cebu project in Barangay Guadalupe for any local ordinance violations, Mayor Nestor Archival said Monday, April 20, 2026.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) 7 lifted the order on April 6 after determining the developer complied with environmental requirements, a decision Archival said the City will respect as the agency has primary authority on such matters.
However, Archival said the City will independently review compliance with local regulations and impose penalties if violations are found, emphasizing that private developments must adhere to both national and local rules.
Archival said flooding concerns linked to the project remain under technical evaluation, noting DENR-EMB 7 findings that multiple factors — including extreme rainfall during typhoon Tino on Nov. 4, 2025 — contributed to downstream flooding. The City, he said, will implement recommendations from local and national environmental offices to ensure safety.
Hydrology study
Slater Young, a celebrity and engineer, said in a video statement April 19 that the project did not cause or worsen flooding, citing a University of the Philippines hydrology study identifying rainfall as the primary factor and stating the project’s detention system reduced runoff. He said the system captured nearly all excess rainfall and that independent reviews support this conclusion, while warning against misinformation and affirming openness to scrutiny.
The issue has been examined in City Council hearings and technical studies, which found flooding resulted from watershed-wide conditions rather than a single development and noted the project lies in a separate drainage system from heavily affected areas. The council earlier declined to issue a cease-and-desist order, citing the need for further validation and broader factors such as drainage capacity and clogged waterways.
Developer Mont Property Group Inc. maintained compliance with regulations and cited scientific findings attributing flooding primarily to extreme rainfall. The company said its mitigation system has expanded to 23 detention ponds, exceeding initial requirements, but acknowledged no development can eliminate flooding due to varying watershed conditions and rainfall intensity. / CAV