THE question facing Cebu City is no longer if recurring floods are linked to upland development, but how long the city can afford to ignore the connection. The recent push for a city-wide moratorium on construction in mountain and watershed areas illustrates a growing tension between the pressure for urban expansion and the necessity of environmental survival.
Quick recap of the event
On Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, during the regular session of the City Council, Councilor Joel Garganera delivered a privilege speech urging the executive branch to immediately impose a moratorium on all future upland development projects. The proposal seeks to temporarily halt activities like slope cutting, quarrying and hillside construction, particularly those identified as posing “serious” risks. Garganera’s resolution motions for a comprehensive review of existing policies and projects before issuing any new permits or clearances.
The big picture context
This local action is part of a larger national challenge where rapid urbanization frequently outpaces responsible environmental planning and regulatory enforcement.
The move was catalyzed by the tragic loss of 33 lives following the onslaught of Typhoon Tino on Nov. 4. For years, critics have argued that recurring floods, silted rivers, and weakened slopes — all impacting the highly populated downstream areas — are the direct consequences of unchecked upland development, poor planning, and weak accountability. The moratorium is an attempt to finally reverse a pattern of environmental damage that no project or funding can undo, according to the councilor.
Why it matters
The outcome of this moratorium directly affects the safety and economy of ordinary Cebu City residents.
Risk to Life and Property: The primary stake is mitigating disaster risk. Continued development in high-risk areas means more people are vulnerable to landslides and flash floods, as tragically demonstrated by Typhoon Tino.
Infrastructure Stress: Siltation from eroded hillsides clogs drainage systems and rivers, overwhelming existing flood control infrastructure.
A Standard for Growth: Garganera insisted the measure is not meant to block growth but to ensure development is “responsible and sustainable.” The debate will set a standard for whether economic growth can be pursued without sacrificing environmental stability.
Voices and perspectives
The issue has drawn contrasting viewpoints between the need for immediate physical restraint and the necessity for deep, fundamental policy reform.
Councilor Garganera calls for decisive and immediate political action to halt risky projects and initiate policy review. “If we act decisively today, we can still protect Cebu and reduce the risks faced by our people.”
Environmental planner Augusto Agosto advocates for long-term, structural reform by challenging the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) for non-compliance with national laws. He submitted a formal notice recommending the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) withhold approval of the CLUP in its current form.
What the moratorium entails
Councilor Garganera’s resolution calls for the suspension of all new permits, clearances, endorsements and approvals related to upland development until compliance with national environmental laws and flood-mitigation preconditions is established. The exact declaration and duration of the moratorium will be set by the mayor.
How policies will be reviewed
A composite technical team, led by the Office of the Mayor and including key government agencies (Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Department of Public Works and Highways, City Planning and Development Office, Office of the Building Official, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, City Environment and Natural Resources Office) along with the academe and civil society groups, is proposed. This team would conduct a comprehensive review of existing upland development policies, zoning ordinances and risk assessments. It is tasked with submitting policy recommendations within 60 days.
The issue with the land use plan
Beyond the immediate moratorium, an urban planning expert has pointed to a deeper flaw in the City’s foundational plan. Agosto noted that the CLUP 2023–2032 lacks the natural capital accounting required by Republic Act 11995, or the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (Pencas) Act.
Pencas requires planners to define carrying capacity, watershed limits and critical ecosystem services as enforceable planning constraints. Agosto argues that the current CLUP — which is based on zoning maps dating back to 1996 and carried over into 2025 revisions — fails to integrate this data and reconcile land-use allocation with environmental carrying capacity and climate risks. Agosto formally recommended that the DHSUD withhold approval of the CLUP until a Pencas integration addendum is provided.
Connecting to larger issues: Resettlement
The resolution also seeks to create a citywide resettlement framework for families living in danger zones such as riverbanks and easements. This framework, led by the Department of Welfare for the Urban Poor and the Local Housing Board, is proposed as a crucial, prioritized phase before any large-scale engineering interventions are initiated. This acknowledges that the threat is not solely environmental but also socio-economic, as the poorest communities often inhabit the highest-risk areas.
What’s next
All eyes are now on the City’s executive branch and the DHSUD.
The mayor’s decision on declaring the moratorium will determine the immediate fate of ongoing upland projects. At the same time, the DHSUD’s review of the CLUP will dictate whether Cebu City is forced to update its land-use planning to comply with modern environmental laws, potentially setting a precedent for other highly-urbanized cities in the Philippines. Failure to address either issue could leave the City’s development plan legally vulnerable and its population exposed to future calamities. / EHP