Monterrazas refutes DENR allegations

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

LAPU-LAPU CITY — The controversial luxury development Monterrazas de Cebu is disputing government findings that more than 700 trees vanished from its hillside estate and rejecting accusations that its development worsened the flooding caused by Typhoon Tino.

The developer, MONT Property Group, said it stands by its compliance with environmental regulations and welcomes any impartial probe by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7).

In its statement released on Saturday, the company said it followed the conditions of its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and the approved Development Permit when it cleared parts of the property.

The firm cited its Environmental Impact Statement, which described the site as dominated by grass, shrubs and small nonwoody plants, and said some portions had minimal to no topsoil before works began.

The developer added that the character of the terrain supports its position that only shrubs and secondary undergrowth were removed.

“We must categorically refute premature pronouncements by the DENR regarding alleged tree-cutting activities. The claim that Monterazzas de Cebu cut down more than 700 trees is grievously false, and we are confident that any evidence that may be presented to assert this narrative can easily be disproven,” the statement said.

The Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office recorded 745 trees inside the estate in a 2022 inventory.

During a joint site inspection last week, DENR-7 and partner agencies documented only 11 trees remaining.

DENR-7 assistant regional director Eddie Llamedo confirmed the count and reiterated that cutting trees without permit remains prohibited under Section 77 of Presidential Decree 705, even on alienable and disposable land.

A multiagency team composed of the DENR-7, the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Central Visayas, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office Cebu, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Barangay Guadalupe and the Cebu City government inspected the site early this week.

The team assessed slope stability, drainage performance, compliance with the ECC and alterations, if there are any, to natural waterways.

The estate holds an amended ECC issued in 2024 covering 240 hectares across Barangay Guadalupe and Barangay Sapangdaku.

Inspectors said they found differences between the drainage structures shown in the approved plans and those on the ground.

The approved design called for a centralized detention pond capable of holding 3,500 cubic meters plus about 15 additional ponds with a combined capacity near 15,000 cubic meters, for a total of roughly 18,500 cubic meters. Inspectors counted 12 ponds during the visit.

Monterrazas pushed back on the agency findings regarding flood control, saying its installed detention capacity totals 40,413 cubic meters, which the company said exceeds the 26,701 cubic meters it was required to provide.

The developer also argued that linking its project to severe flooding in Liloan, Mandaue and Talisay ignores watershed boundaries, noting that the estate sits in Barangay Guadalupe and that those hard-hit towns lie in different drainage basins.

The company acknowledged only localized flooding in parts of the lower estate. Inspectors stressed the practical consequences of any shortfall.

Local authorities are conducting parallel checks, including Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, who ordered City Hall teams to inspect drainage outfalls, slope protection measures and detention structures after receiving numerous complaints from residents.

Previous phases of the Monterrazas project were halted in 2008 and 2011 following flooding and slope movement.

Concern over slope works and runoff returned after Typhoon Odette in 2021 and escalated again when residents reported discolored runoff during Typhoon Tino.