CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival has defended his cautious stance on the Monterrazas de Cebu upland development, stating that repeated public commentary would only politicize an issue already under national investigation.
The mayor’s remarks follow questions from Councilor Jun Alcover regarding Archival’s perceived lack of action on the controversial project, which residents and environmental advocates have linked to flooding and soil erosion.
“Kaning pag-approve ani dili pa ko mayor (I wasn’t the mayor yet when this was approved),” Archival noted, emphasizing that the project predates his administration.
Archival explained that the City acted promptly once environmental concerns surfaced. Following floods linked to the site, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), conducted a probe.
“That investigation was submitted to the National Government and they have already issued a resolution to file cases against the responsible parties,” he said.
Questioning the calls for further intervention, Archival asked, “There’s already a pending decision. Unsa pa man diay atong buhaton? (What else are we supposed to do?)” He clarified that the City would not conduct a separate probe to avoid duplicating the ongoing, independent DENR-led investigation.
Despite his silence on the specific case, Archival reiterated his support for a moratorium on new upland developments to mitigate environmental risks.
“I will issue a memorandum to department heads, especially Cenro and zoning offices, to scrutinize new applications, particularly in the uplands,” he said. He clarified that while projects approved by previous administrations will be reviewed for compliance, the moratorium primarily targets new applications.
Archival’s position aligns with Councilor Joel Garganera, chair of the committee on environment, who is pushing for stricter regulations to ensure “responsible and science-based growth.”
The mayor concluded that while the City supports development, it must be balanced with environmental responsibility. / CAV