Engineer-actor Slater Young said his controversial real estate project received the proper certifications and underwent the necessary impact study.
This response comes following online criticisms of his project, which raised concerns about its environmental safety.
On August 24, actor and civil engineer Slater Young unveiled the scale model of his real estate development, a project called The Rise at Monterrazas.
Inspired by the Banaue Rice Terraces, The Rise at Monterrazas is a condominium development that will be built on a mountainside in Guadalupe, Cebu.
Young said his team is aiming for the development to be “as sustainable as possible.”
The announcement received a backlash, with many Filipinos expressing concerns about the project’s safety and its potential contribution to deforestation in the area.
In an interview with One News, Young said that his team has all the necessary permits needed to go through with the real estate project.
“Kumpleto na tayo sa mga permits,” he told One News’s newscast “The Big Story.”
He also explained that the mountainside area where they are building The Rise at Monterrazas is “on the foot of a mountain…just one small portion at the foot of the mountain.”
The engineer-actor said that the project is “really, really close to the city” and is located in the biggest residential barangay in Cebu City.”
“Zoning natin is residential. There is no forest in the area. There is vegetation but hindi siya forest,” he said.
Young explained that they conducted a soil boring test to assess the soil profile at the project’s location.”
A soil boring test is a test that can help determine if the ground at a specific development or project site is safe to build on.
He said that the soil profile at the project site consists of “very, very hard” limestone, which enables construction on that particular mountainside.
His team has also considered other environmental elements, such as wind and rainfall, that could possibly damage the project and make it unsafe in the long run.
The construction of The Rise at Monterrazas is yet to begin as Young and his team plan to get more certification and consultations to guarantee the safety of the property.
Despite the controversy, Young said pre-selling for the condominium project is doing well.
Meanwhile, in an interview with PEP, Young reiterated that the project will occupy “just a small, small portion of the mountain, at the foot of the mountain.”
“This only has 146 units. So, very exclusive ito. Of course, it’s still big, no doubt about it. But hindi siya ‘yung buong bundok. It’s just the side of a mountain. And even if you go to Google Earth and you look at that site, wala kayong makikita na forest there,” he told the entertainment news site.
He added, “Kasi ‘yun ‘yung isa sa mga parang nababasa namin na parang major concern is they’re thinking about deforestation. So, hindi naman ganun, hindi naman siya totally ganun ‘yung mangyayari. There is vegetation, just like any other construction site, pero hindi siya forest. Puro siya mga shrubs, cogon, mga ganyan.”
Philstar.com also reported that the project had already obtained an Environmental Compliance Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau, a requirement for any project that could potentially cause significant environmental impact.
Young is an engineer who is also known for winning the reality show “Pinoy Big Brother Unlimited” in 2012. —Chuck Smith