In the wake of the devastating flash floods that swept through Barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City on 4 November 2025, two government agencies are launching formal investigations into the hillside residential project known as The Rise at Monterrazas, led in part by celebrity engineer Slater Young.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced that it has convened a multistakeholder inspection team to audit the environmental compliance of the Monterrazas development, in response to public outcry that the project may have contributed to abnormal flooding during Typhoon “Tino”. Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has indicated it will investigate whether drainage and slope-protection systems associated with the development met standards.
According to the DENR’s statement, the inspection team — comprised of regional officials in Cebu, technical bureaus, and the local barangay and city government — will begin on-site fieldwork from 7 November to assess several key issues: whether the project has complied with its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC); whether its drainage, runoff and slope-protection systems are functioning properly; whether slope stability is compromised; whether there have been land-form alterations or encroachment towards timberland; and whether erosion or siltation in nearby tributaries or waterways can be traced to the development.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon made a strong statement in a radio interview, saying: “We will direct this, these projects are being monetised. That’s what’s wrong here… This will be investigated by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and our team at the DPWH. The people behind this must be held accountable.” He added that the focus for now should be: what can we do so this does not happen again?
In parallel, Slater Young has remained silent publicly regarding the allegations but has been defended by Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival. Mayor Archival stated in an interview that the flooding event is not directly related to the development and argued it is unfair to link the project with the siting of the floods. He pointed to a donation of a road by the development team as evidence of its community contribution, and said: “Why should Slater make noise? I don’t think so. That’s too far.”
The controversy opens a broader discussion on hillside development, natural slope resilience and urban drainage in highly urbanised yet mountainous parts of Cebu City. Critics argue that large-scale developments on hillsides can disrupt natural runoff paths, reduce absorption surfaces and increase flood risk in lower-lying barangays. As public scrutiny escalates, residents and local organisations are demanding full transparency of engineering studies and geohazard assessments for the Monterrazas project. The DENR has already directed the developer to submit its Engineering, Geological and Geohazard Assessment for validation.
Going forward, the inspection findings could lead to suspension of development, enforcement of corrective works, fines or legal sanctions if violations of environmental law or ECC conditions are found. The latest developments place both environmental-regulatory and infrastructure-governance frameworks under the spotlight in the Philippines’ fast-growing real-estate sector.
If you like, I can pull together a detailed timeline of the investigation and map of the area showing where the floods occurred relative to the project.