Businessman and engineer Slater Young on Sunday broke his silence over allegations linking his family and their hillside development, Monterrazas de Cebu, to severe flooding that struck Cebu in November 2025.

In a video statement released online, Young addressed what he described as “disinformation” surrounding the project, following the release of findings from an independent study conducted by researchers from the University of the Philippines.

The flooding occurred during Typhoon Tino, which caused widespread damage across parts of Cebu. The Monterrazas development had been cited by some sectors as a possible contributor to the disaster due to its location in the city’s upland areas.

Young said the family initially chose not to respond publicly to the accusations, opting instead to wait for the results of formal investigations.

“When the accusations were made against the Monterrazas project, 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,” he said.

Citing the university-led study, Young said researchers found that the project did not cause or worsen the flooding. He said the study attributed the incident to the “sheer volume of rain,” noting that the typhoon brought more than a month’s worth of rainfall in a single day.

He added that the study found the project exceeded water management standards, with its detention ponds capable of capturing and holding up to 99.74% of excess rainwater before releasing it gradually.

“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,” Young said.

He emphasized that the findings were conducted by scientists with no connection to the project and were reviewed by multiple independent bodies that reached similar conclusions.

Despite this, Young acknowledged the criticism their family faced in the aftermath of the disaster, describing some of it as “deeply hurtful,” but said they remained mindful of those directly affected by the floods.

He also warned against the spread of false information, saying they would take necessary steps to protect their family from what he called “deliberate misinformation.”

Young said efforts to determine the true causes of flooding in Cebu are ongoing and stressed the need for “real solutions” based on verified data.

“We understand that for some, no study or finding will ever be enough,” he said. “But Cebu deserves real solutions, and real solutions can only come from correctly identifying the real cause.”

As of April, the Cebu City Council lifted the cease-and-desist order on the Monterrazas project, saying a shutdown was no longer necessary after the developer complied with requirements and coordinated with authorities.

Investigations into flooding in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City found that while the project contributed to runoff, the flooding was also caused by inadequate drainage and undersized pipes in downstream areas.