Former Pinoy Big Brother Unlimited winner and civil engineer Slater Young is currently under fire after the devastating floods that hit Cebu during the onslaught of Typhoon Tino. As heartbreaking images of submerged homes and displaced families flooded social media, many Cebuanos began pointing fingers — and for some, the blame landed squarely on the popular influencer-turned-developer.

Slater, who rose to fame as a television personality before transitioning into engineering and real estate, is one of the key figures behind The Rise at Monterrazas, a massive mountainside condominium project in Cebu City. The 19-story residential development, inspired by the Banaue Rice Terraces, was designed to “blend with the mountain rather than build against it.” But after the recent disaster, critics are now questioning whether that vision caused more harm than good.

A Tragedy That Shook Cebu

Typhoon Tino, which hit the Visayas region with powerful winds and torrential rains, left widespread destruction across Cebu. Based on local reports, at least 150 people lost their lives — including 99 in Cebu province alone. Thousands were displaced as rivers overflowed and landslides buried homes in several low-lying communities.

According to the Office of Civil Defense, most fatalities were caused by drowning and collapsing soil from mountainside areas. In Cebu City, nine deaths were confirmed, while dozens more were reported missing in towns like Compostela, Danao, and Talisay. Residents in Mandaue City also described waist-deep flooding, forcing families to seek shelter in evacuation centers overnight.

Authorities blamed the scale of the disaster on “unprecedented rainfall,” but on social media, public outrage took a different direction. Many online users accused large-scale hillside developments — particularly The Rise at Monterrazas — of worsening the floods by disrupting the natural terrain and water flow.

The Spotlight on Slater Young

“The Rise at Monterrazas,” developed by Gen V Development Corporation and later taken over by 8990 Housing Development Corporation, has been a point of contention since its groundbreaking in November 2024. Located in Barangay Guadalupe and stretching across 200 hectares of mountainside terrain, the project aimed to be Cebu’s “first sustainable luxury community.”

But environmentalists had long warned about its potential risks. They argued that carving into the mountain could lead to soil instability, water runoff issues, and drainage problems in nearby lower communities. The memory of Typhoon Odette in 2021, which had already exposed the city’s vulnerability to floods, made many residents wary of new hillside construction.

Even before Typhoon Tino struck, local critics — including environmental lawyer Atty. Jesus Falcis — had challenged the project’s claims of being “eco-friendly.” “How many trees were cut? How much mountain surface was removed?” he asked in a 2023 public statement. “Can the project’s drainage system really replace what nature used to do on its own?”

Slater’s Defense and Government Partnership

In earlier interviews, Slater emphasized that his team had revised the project more than 300 times to comply with environmental standards. He also noted that it was registered under the Philippine Green Building Council’s BERDE program, a national initiative promoting sustainable architecture.

In 2025, Slater met with Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival to discuss flood control measures. The meeting was highlighted on the mayor’s official social media account, describing the collaboration as part of a “shared vision for a more resilient and sustainable Cebu.” Slater reportedly proposed the creation of detention pods and improved drainage systems to mitigate flooding risks.

“I’m happy to see private developers like Slater working with the city to address long-term challenges,” Mayor Archival said at the time.

However, in the aftermath of Typhoon Tino, public perception quickly shifted. Netizens resurfaced old photos and statements about the Monterrazas project, questioning whether enough preventive measures were implemented. Some pointed to drone images allegedly showing significant land alteration, while others shared stories of how water from the mountains “rushed faster than ever” during the storm.

Online Outrage and Environmental Divide

Social media became the main battleground for public sentiment. While some defended Slater, saying it was unfair to blame one developer for a natural disaster, others insisted that his project represented a deeper problem — the growing divide between “urban luxury” and environmental responsibility.

One viral post read:

“Cebuanos in the lowlands are drowning while the rich live on mountains they carved open. Sustainability should not be a marketing word — it should protect lives.”

Slater’s wife, Kryz Uy, a well-known lifestyle influencer, also faced online backlash. Observers noticed that both Slater and Kryz had limited comments on their social media accounts following the incident, fueling speculation that they were trying to avoid the criticism.

Despite the mounting public anger, there has been no official government finding linking The Rise at Monterrazas directly to the flooding. Experts from the City Disaster Risk Reduction Office said that the intensity of rainfall during Typhoon Tino was “beyond historical averages,” overwhelming even newly built drainage systems.

Still, the debate continues: Was this simply an act of nature, or did modern development make it worse?

Architects and Experts Weigh In

Dr. Joshua Agar, a wind engineer and assistant professor at the UP Institute of Civil Engineering, once commented on the project’s orientation and location. He observed that the structure’s east-facing design — toward the direction of incoming winds — could heighten turbulence and structural stress during typhoons.

“While it meets code-based standards,” Agar said, “it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best design for the local terrain.”

He also raised concerns about the philosophical gap between developers in the Philippines and those in countries with stricter sustainability practices. “In many developing nations, ‘eco-friendly’ often means aesthetically green, not structurally adaptive,” he noted.

Where the Blame Falls

For now, the question of whether Slater Young bears any responsibility remains unresolved. Environmental groups are calling for a comprehensive investigation into Cebu’s flood management systems, including the impact of hillside construction.

Meanwhile, the public remains divided. Some see Slater as a scapegoat for a disaster that could have overwhelmed any city under similar conditions. Others believe his project symbolizes the kind of unchecked urbanization that puts communities at risk.

As Cebu begins to rebuild, the tragedy of Typhoon Tino has become more than a story about rain and wind — it’s a wake-up call about how progress, profit, and nature collide in one of the country’s fastest-growing cities.

And while Slater Young has yet to issue an official statement, one thing is certain: in a time when lives were lost and emotions ran high, the line between accountability and accusation has never been thinner.