Cebu City panel allows Monterrazas project development to…
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Cebu City panel allows Monterrazas project development to continue
The Cebu City government cleared the 118-hectare Monterrazas de Cebu mountain development to continue operations, after a technical review found its on-site flood mitigation systems far exceed local requirements.
In TIC Resolution No. 2026-008 adopted September 8, the city’s Technical Infrastructure Committee said inspections showed the project’s detention ponds can hold more than three times the volume mandated by the city’s building and environmental codes.
The review was ordered by Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña following a cease-and-desist order against developer Mont Property Group and complaints that the project worsened flooding during Typhoon “Tino” last year, including in Brgy. Cotcot, 25 kilometers away.
A joint inspection in July 2026 by the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), Office of the Building Official (OBO), and the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) focused on “Catchment 01” in the Montelago sector, the area most linked to Guadalupe flooding complaints.
Engineers found seven detention ponds with a total capacity of 27,483.4 cubic meters, versus the 8,220 cubic meters required under Cebu City’s drainage standards.
According to the committee, the excess capacity allows Monterrazas to trap rainfall on-site and release it at a controlled rate instead of dumping runoff directly into city drains.
Although the panel noted the report “does not prove the development does not contribute, directly or indirectly, to any flooding,” it said the project cannot be blamed as the single culprit.
Instead, the resolution flagged gaps in local infrastructure policy and enforcement, namely no retention requirements for older projects, bottlenecks in municipal drainage, and altered waterways.
Under the Cebu City Zoning Ordinance and National Building Code, new developments are now required to provide on-site detention.
The committee said the flooding problem reflects developments approved before those standards were strictly enforced.
“The Guadalupe flooding issue cannot be solved by stopping one project whose internal dams are verified and working. It requires the city government, barangays, Monterrazas, and other developers to re-engineer the entire mountain watershed,” the TIC report stated.
Mont Property Group has since welcomed the findings, with general manager Camille Bondad saying the company “will continue to ensure all of our projects comply with the Government’s regulations.”
She assured the public of their commitment to working with Cebu City, Brgy. Guadalupe, and neighboring communities on flood-mitigation efforts.
The resolution was submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for information, with no new penalties recommended against Monterazzas.
City officials said the next step will be a watershed-wide planning session involving all stakeholders to align private developments with the city’s updated drainage and environmental policies.
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The Cebu City government cleared the 118-hectare Monterrazas de Cebu mountain development to continue operations, after a technical review found its on-site flood mitigation systems far exceed local requirements.
In TIC Resolution No. 2026-008 adopted September 8, the city’s Technical Infrastructure Committee said inspections showed the project’s detention ponds can hold more than three times the volume mandated by the city’s building and environmental codes.
The review was ordered by Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña following a cease-and-desist order against developer Mont Property Group and complaints that the project worsened flooding during Typhoon “Tino” last year, including in Brgy. Cotcot, 25 kilometers away.
A joint inspection in July 2026 by the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), Office of the Building Official (OBO), and the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) focused on “Catchment 01” in the Montelago sector, the area most linked to Guadalupe flooding complaints.
Engineers found seven detention ponds with a total capacity of 27,483.4 cubic meters, versus the 8,220 cubic meters required under Cebu City’s drainage standards.
According to the committee, the excess capacity allows Monterrazas to trap rainfall on-site and release it at a controlled rate instead of dumping runoff directly into city drains.
Although the panel noted the report “does not prove the development does not contribute, directly or indirectly, to any flooding,” it said the project cannot be blamed as the single culprit.
Instead, the resolution flagged gaps in local infrastructure policy and enforcement, namely no retention requirements for older projects, bottlenecks in municipal drainage, and altered waterways.
Under the Cebu City Zoning Ordinance and National Building Code, new developments are now required to provide on-site detention.
The committee said the flooding problem reflects developments approved before those standards were strictly enforced.
“The Guadalupe flooding issue cannot be solved by stopping one project whose internal dams are verified and working. It requires the city government, barangays, Monterrazas, and other developers to re-engineer the entire mountain watershed,” the TIC report stated.
Mont Property Group has since welcomed the findings, with general manager Camille Bondad saying the company “will continue to ensure all of our projects comply with the Government’s regulations.”
She assured the public of their commitment to working with Cebu City, Brgy. Guadalupe, and neighboring communities on flood-mitigation efforts.
The resolution was submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for information, with no new penalties recommended against Monterazzas.
City officials said the next step will be a watershed-wide planning session involving all stakeholders to align private developments with the city’s updated drainage and environmental policies.
#entertainment #fun #philippines #ph #pinoy
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