Municipal drainage failures and accumulated garbage — not a private land development — were the primary drivers of flooding in Barangay Guadalupe during Typhoon Tino last November, the Cebu City Council has determined.
In a resolution approved Wednesday, the council formally lifted the cease-and-desist order that had been imposed on the Monterrazas de Cebu Project, a development by Mont Property Group, after concluding that the project bore no direct responsibility for the flooding that struck the barangay in November 2025.
The council’s findings leaned heavily on a joint ocular inspection conducted January 12, 2026, by the Natural Resources Office and the Office of the Building Official. Inspectors found that earth-moving activities at the project site were carried out to manage surface runoff, in accordance with directives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Contributing to the decision was an Environmental Management Bureau report showing the development contains 62,468 cubic meters of capacity and 22 detention ponds distributed across the site to slow and contain surface runoff as a flood-mitigation measure.
The council’s resolution stated that flooding in the area was “the result of multiple contributing factors, including existing drainage limitations, tributary inflows, and other site conditions,” and that it “cannot be solely attributed to any single development in the area.” Outdated pipes in sections of the barangay and improper garbage disposal were cited as specific infrastructure deficiencies that worsened the situation.
“The imposition of a Cease-and-Desist Order on the Monterrazas de Cebu project is not warranted, without prejudice to the continued monitoring and regulatory authority of the concerned offices,” the resolution read.
Despite the order’s removal, the council is requiring Mont Property Group to finalize its Special Hauling Permit and submit comprehensive hydrological studies to inform future flood mitigation planning. All relevant city offices have been directed to coordinate with the developer on long-term drainage improvements in the area.
