DENR orders probe into Slater Young’s Monterrazas de Cebu project

Slater Young, a former Pinoy Big Brother winner turned engineer and developer of the Monterrazas de Cebu luxury mountainside project, will have to face the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) over environmental concerns tied to the project’s impact on upland erosion and downstream flooding.

The DENR announced Friday that it has ordered an impartial and full-scale review of the Monterrazas de Cebu development, stressing its mandate to protect communities and enforce environmental laws. The project returned to public scrutiny after massive flooding hit Cebu during Super Typhoon “Tino,” with critics claiming that earth-moving in the uplands may have accelerated the runoff that inundated low-lying communities.

"To ensure thorough and impartial review of the Monterrazas de Cebu Project, the Department today convened a multistakeholder Joint Inspection, Investigation, and Assessment Team of technical experts from the DENR Region 7, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7), Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Cebu, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Cebu City, the Cebu City Government, and Barangay Guadalupe," the DENR said in a statement sent to the Daily Tribune.

The joint inspection team will begin its on-site investigation on November 7 to determine:

• Whether the project has complied with its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC)

• The performance of its drainage, slope protection, and rainwater management systems

• The stability of slopes and potential risks of erosion, landslides, or flooding

• Possible alteration of natural landforms and proximity to protected timberland

• Signs of siltation, sedimentation, or blocked waterways

The DENR also ordered Young, as project proponent, to submit an updated Engineering, Geological, and Geohazard Assessment, which will be validated by the inspection team.

If violations are identified, the agency emphasized it “will not hesitate to enforce corrective actions, including suspension, penalties, or other legal remedies as provided by law."

"We remain steadfast in our mission to balance development with environmental protection and to ensure that every project operates in full compliance with the law," it added.

Young has not yet issued a public statement after the storm, prompting renewed calls for accountability. Environmental advocates have warned since 2023 that construction along steep mountain slopes could increase runoff during heavy rains. At the time, Young defended the development, saying:

“This is just a small portion of the mountain,” Young said in a public video interview in 2023. “I wouldn’t have put my face on there if I didn’t believe in the project.”

The investigation is ongoing.