Earth-moving activities at Monterrazas probed

Local

CEBU City environmental officials are investigating alleged earth-moving and tree-cutting violations at the Monterrazas de Cebu development in Barangay Guadalupe, where work proceeded without required permits.

In a report endorsed to the Cebu City Council and set for deliberation during its regular session on Feb. 3, the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) recommended that the project proponent be required to secure the necessary permits and that the site be placed under close monitoring.

The findings stemmed from a joint ocular inspection conducted on Jan. 12, 2026, by CCENRO and the Office of the Building Official (OBO), pursuant to a sangguniang panlungsod resolution, which ordered a parallel investigation into possible ordinance violations by the development.

According to the inspection report, CCENRO personnel deployed a drone to capture aerial images and videos of the site.

While the project’s representative told inspectors that there were no recent activities due to an order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), CCENRO said drone footage showed several heavy equipment units, including backhoes and trucks, inside the property.

Inspectors also observed traces of large-scale earth-moving activities covering several hectares. CCENRO noted ongoing earth-moving works related to the construction of retention ponds, which the project representative said were allowed and directed by the DENR.

One of the key findings cited by CCENRO was the absence of Special Hauling Permits for most of the project.

Aside from one residential building, the report said the rest of the Monterrazas development did not apply for Special Hauling Permits with the Cebu City Mining Regulatory Board (CCMRB).

“Based on initial observation at the site, the volume of excavated minerals or earth materials is much greater compared to the volume that was backfilled for cut-and-fill,” the report stated.

“Therefore, hauling of minerals or earth materials from within the site to outside the site was likely carried out.”

Such hauling activities, CCENRO said, would constitute a violation of Section 4 of City Ordinance No. 2115, which requires permits for the extraction, removal, and disposal of earth materials.

CCENRO also flagged issues related to tree-cutting permits.

The report noted that the Monterrazas project began years before the passage of City Ordinance No. 2623, or the Earth-Balling, Cutting, and Removal of Trees Ordinance of Cebu City, which was approved on July 28, 2021.

As such, tree inventory, monitoring, and regulation during the project’s earlier stages fell under the DENR.

However, for recent developments within the site, CCENRO said the proponent is now required to comply with Ordinance No. 2623.

As of Jan.12, the office said it had not received any application from Monterrazas de Cebu for a tree-cutting permit.

In its remarks, CCENRO warned that the extensive earth-moving activities and vegetation removal observed at the site could significantly increase rainwater runoff, heightening the risk of flooding and downstream impacts during heavy rains.

Based on its findings, CCENRO recommended that the developer be required to secure the necessary Special Hauling and Tree-Cutting Permits in compliance with City Ordinances Nos. 2115 and 2623.

It also called on the Barangay Guadalupe local government unit to regularly monitor the site and endorsed the inspection report to several offices, including the Office of the Mayor, CCMRB, the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, and the barangay government, for information and appropriate action.

The CCENRO findings come amid renewed public scrutiny of the Monterrazas de Cebu project, particularly after flooding incidents linked to recent typhoons.

Mayor Nestor Archival has rejected claims that he has been silent on the issue. He said that the project is already the subject of pending cases filed by national agencies.

“Kaning pag-approve ani, dili pa ko mayor ato nga panahon,” Archival said in an earlier interview.

He said the city government, through CCENRO and in coordination with the DENR, had already conducted investigations and elevated the findings to the national level.

“There is already a case at the national level. That’s it,” the mayor said, adding that further city action is limited while cases remain pending.

Earlier, the DENR filed a criminal case on Dec. 3, 2025, against the Monterrazas developer for alleged violation of Section 77 of Presidential Decree No. 705, or the Revised Forestry Code, citing the drastic reduction of trees in the project area.

The DENR also lodged an administrative complaint for alleged noncompliance with multiple conditions under the project’s Environmental Compliance Certificate, and issued notices of violation related to the Clean Water Act and the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System.(TGP)