Slater Young spoke out for the first time following months of public criticism over his real estate project, Monterrazas, and its alleged role in worsening the impact of Typhoon Tino in Cebu.
In a video posted on his social media platforms, the celebrity engineer addressed what he described as “misinformation” that fueled criticism against the luxury mountain development, which persisted since 2023.
The controversy stemmed from the devastating floods that struck Cebu in November 2025. Some residents and netizens pointed to Monterrazas, built on elevated terrain, as a contributing factor, alleging that land development and tree cutting intensified the flooding.
Following the tragedy, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ordered a halt to the project and launched an investigation, which later found violations committed by the developer.
Breaking his silence on Sunday evening, April 19, Young extended condolences to families affected by the disaster, emphasizing that the tragedy “deserves real answers, not speculation, not misinformation.”
“Like many of you, our family was deeply saddened by the devastation of Typhoon Tino. And we first want to express our sincerest condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods,” he said. “That tragedy was real.”
The entrepreneur said their decision to initially refrain from commenting was made in order to wait for further investigation of the “truth”.
He continued, “Now that Monterrazas has formally presented its findings and put the science on record, I felt like it was the right time for me to speak personally.”
Young explained that while they initially wanted to respond to the “accusations”, they chose to wait for official investigations to conclude. During that period, he said their family endured intense criticism but remained focused on the plight of those directly affected.
“Our first instinct was to respond immediately. But we held back because we believed that the right thing to do was to let the proper investigations run its course, to let the science and evidence speak, rather than to add to all the noise and confusion. That is why we chose to stay quiet,” he explained.
“Throughout that time, our family endured a great deal of criticism. […] But we also know that what we experienced is nothing compared to the suffering of those who were directly affected by the flood.”
Citing an independent study conducted by the University of the Philippines, Slater stressed that findings showed Monterrazas was not the ultimate cause that worsened the typhoon’s flooding.
“They found that Monterrazas did not cause or worsen the flooding. What caused it was the sheer volume of rain. That amount of water would have flooded those areas regardless of what was or was not built,” he said, noting that Typhoon Tino brought over a month’s worth of rainfall to Cebu in just one day.
He added that according to multiple independent bodies that reached similar conclusions, the project’s water management systems exceeded required standards, which actually helped reduce rainwater from collecting into floodwaters.
“And because of that, our detention ponds caught and held back up to 99.74% of the excess rainwater coming off our site. Releasing it slowly instead of letting it all rush downhill all at once,” stated Young. “The science does not just say we did not cause the flooding. It says that the systems we have built in place help reduce it.
Despite this, Young acknowledged that grief among affected communities remains valid.
“We respect everyone’s right to their own opinion. But we will not stay silent in the face of deliberate misinformation,” he said, adding that their family is prepared to take steps to protect themselves from further false claims.
“We understand that for some, no study or finding will ever be enough. Grief does not follow a timeline, and we respect that.”
Slater further reiterated their commitment to being part of long-term solutions for disaster mitigation in the locale, saying, “Cebu deserves real solutions. And real solutions can only come from correctly identifying the real cause”.
Earlier, in February, Mont Property Group paid a P400,000 fine to the DENR over project violations. By April 2026, the agency allowed the Monterrazas development to resume operations.
Young ended his statement by thanking supporters who stood by their family during the controversy.
“To our family, to our friends, and to everyone who has quietly stood by us throughout these past few months. Your support meant everything to us. Maraming-maraming salamat po,” Young concluded.
