Screengrab from Slater Young

A year after Cebu was battered by Typhoon Tino, celebrity engineer Slater Young is finally speaking out—addressing the criticism he and his family faced in the storm’s aftermath.

Young, who is involved in the Monterrazas de Cebu development, found himself at the center of public scrutiny after heavy flooding hit parts of Cebu. Some critics were quick to link the project to the flooding, sparking widespread debate online.

The issue resurfaced after Mont Property Group, the developer behind Monterrazas, announced it would move forward with the project following the lifting of a cease-and-desist order. With that, Young took the opportunity to clarify his side.

According to him, the project not only met required water management standards—it exceeded them. He pointed to findings backed by the University of the Philippines Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, which disputed claims that the development caused the flooding.

“We did not just meet the required standard for water management—we almost doubled it,” Young explained. He added that their detention pond was able to hold back up to 99.74 percent of excess rainwater coming from the site during heavy downpours.

For Young, the bigger picture goes beyond one project. He stressed that as Cebu continues to grow into a major metropolitan hub, it needs “real solutions” to long-standing flooding issues.

“Real solutions can only come from correctly identifying the real cause,” he said, noting that studies and efforts to address the problem are still ongoing. “Monterrazas is committing to becoming part of that—and I am committed to becoming part of it.”

As the conversation continues, Young’s message is clear: solving urban flooding requires facts, collaboration, and a long-term approach—not quick blame.