MONTERRAZAS PROJECT: DID IT CAUSE THE FLOODING?

The recent chaos from Typhoon Tino in Cebu has got people seriously worried, especially in Barangay Guadalupe, where a fancy housing project is going up. This disaster isn’t just bad luck; it’s shining a big light on how our choices can backfire. While locals are dealing with the mess, a key question pops up: did the Monterrazas de Cebu project, which looks all shiny and nice, mess up the natural flow of things?

People in the area have noticed a concerning spike in flooding since the Monterrazas work kicked off. It really makes you think about how development can affect Mother Nature. Did anyone actually stop to think about how changing the land might make flooding worse? That’s what the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is trying to figure out. But folks are also scratching their heads wondering why an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) was even given out in the first place. It seems odd that a project could roll ahead without seriously thinking about how it would impact the community and the environment.

What really frustrates people is that the DENR, while important, shouldn’t be the main group handling this situation. The local government laid the groundwork by giving out the permits, so they need to step up and own their part instead of hiding behind the DENR. We need a serious investigation that includes voices from the private sector to find out how we got here. Openness is super important; the community has a right to know how the decisions from local leaders and developers led to their current struggles.

At the core of all this is the need for accountability. If property development is making life unsafe and harder for residents, it’s time to ask some tough questions and put tighter regulations in place. Everyone’s got a role in this story, whether it’s the locals whose lives are being turned upside down or the developers looking to cash in on prime land. In the end, Typhoon Tino might just spark some much-needed changes in how projects are planned and carried out in Cebu. If there’s a bright side, it could be the chance for communities to rebuild not just their homes but also the rules that truly keep them safe.