Given this, the City Council said that imposing a cease-and-desist order against the Monterrazas de Cebu project would not be warranted, without prejudice to the continued monitoring and regulatory authority of the concerned offices.
This was contained in Resolution No. 17-3028-2026 passed by the City Council during its regular session on March 24, barely a month after the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) asked City Mayor Nestor Archival on March 3 to halt the project for failing to secure tree-cutting and hauling permits in violation of two city ordinances.
What caused the flooding
Based on the findings and technical presentations made before the City Council, the resolution stated that flooding incidents in certain areas of Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, were a result of multiple contributing factors, including existing drainage limitations, tributary inflows, and other site conditions, and could not be solely attributed to any single development in the area.
It also stated that the ongoing construction of the detention ponds is a vital component of the area’s flood management strategy, based on the technical assessment of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB).
The resolution stated that any suspension of the project would leave these mitigation structures incomplete, thereby aggravating the risk of flooding and increasing the danger to low-lying communities.
Monterrazas de Cebu is a hillside luxury residential development nestled in the mountains of Guadalupe located about a thousand feet above sea level, with views of Cebu and the islands of Bohol and Mactan.
But it was blamed for the “unprecedented” flooding in low-lying areas of Guadalupe and nearby villages during typhoon “Tino” in November 2025, prompting authorities to look into the development.
The DENR later issued a CDO for some violations on its environmental compliance certificate and filed administrative and criminal cases against the developer for unauthorized tree cutting.
A team from CENRO and the Office of Building Official went to the site last January and found excessive earth-moving activities in the project site without securing a special hauling permit from the city government.
In the process of compliance
However, the council stated in the resolution that these activities were necessary for the construction of critical detention ponds intended to manage surface runoff, as mandated and allowed by the DENR.
The council added that the developer was in the process of complying with all recommendations and requirements, including securing a Special Hauling Permit under City Ordinance No. 2115.
Based on the DENR-EMB report, Monterrazas was constructing 22 detention ponds with a total capacity of 62,468 cubic meters, all strategically placed to contain and slow down surface runoff, thereby mitigating potential flooding impacts.
The council also said the developer was willing to cooperate with the city government by submitting additional technical studies and participating in voluntary initiatives aimed at improving drainage infrastructure in the affected communities.
“The City Government of Cebu recognizes the need for collaborative, public-private solutions involving both public infrastructure improvements and responsible development practices to address long-term flooding concerns,” the council said in the resolution.
Other factors
The resolution also pointed out that technical findings presented to the council showed that flooding in the affected areas was primarily due to significant municipal drainage deficiencies.
These included outdated pipes in portions of Guadalajara Street and Guadalupe Heights in Barangay Guadalupe, measuring only 450 mm to 600 mm in diameter, which were insufficient to accommodate runoff from contributing tributary areas.
The improper disposal of garbage and the clogging of existing drainage systems significantly reduced the capacity of municipal infrastructure and contributed to localized flooding, the resolution said.
While a CDO was not warranted at this point, the council enjoined the developer, Mont Property Group, Inc., to strictly comply with all city ordinances, including securing a Special Hauling Permit and submitting comprehensive hydrological studies to further guide local mitigation efforts.
It also mandated all relevant offices of the Cebu City Government to work in partnership with the developer to implement long-term drainage and flood mitigation improvements to address existing infrastructure deficits in Barangay Guadalupe and surrounding areas. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
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