DENR: 3 violations in Monterrazas residential project in Cebu City

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has identified three violations committed with the construction of a high end residential project in Cebu City and its retention pond, which was supposed to hold rainwater, was not enough.

According to Ivan Mayrina’s Thursday report on “24 Oras,” celebrity and project lead engineer Slater Young said in his YouTube account that The Rise at Monterrazas — a residential project that was started in 2024 — is sustainable and has an irrigation system, which resembles the one used by farmers that could collect rainwater into a tank. He added that the project also has an irrigation system.

However, amid the onslaught of Typhoon Tino a netizen posted a video, which had become viral,  showing a surge of floodwater.

"Grabe  ang baha galing sa Monterrazas, nasira ang kanilang dam. Kaya delikado magka landslide dito," said the video uploader.

After the onslaught of the storm, the bald part of the hill was exposed where the project stands became visible.

DENR notes violations

The DENR said one of the violations that it identified is that out of over 700 trees in 2022, only 11 remain after a tree-cutting permit was obtained for the project.

The project, the agency said, violated Section 77 of Presidential Decree 705, Revised Forestry Code of the Philippine 1975 and the Presidential Decree 1586 or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System.

Monterrazas also failed to acquire a discharge permit in accordance with the provisions of the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, the DENR also said.

The agency said the planned centralized retention pond and 15 additional structures meant to capture rainwater are still considered inadequate.

Once completed, the pond was to store water equal to to the amount that could fill seven Olympic swimming pools.

“Ang analysis is itong 18,500 cubic meters or itong mga na-establish or to be established pa na mga retention pond that would somehow catch yung mga water para ma-eliminate or ma-prevent yung run-off going down. Ang nakita lang namin is only 12, retention pond, sapat ba 'yun? parang hindi siya sapat. Dapat i-upgrade,” said Eddie Llamedo, DENR Region 7 assistant director.

(The analysis shows that 18,500 cubic meters of retention ponds are needed to help catch water and prevent runoff. But we found only 12 retention ponds, which seems insufficient and should be upgraded.)

The DENR also found that Monterrazas had violated ten out of 33 Environmental Compliance Certificates or ECCs.

This could subject the people behind the residential project to administrative and criminal charges.

GMA Integrated News is seeking comment from the involved parties.

Meanwhile, the DENR is also investigating other projects since many areas in Cebu were flooded. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News