‘Banaue-inspired’ condo project aims for BERDE certification

CEBU, Philippines — In a bid to prove to Cebuanos that the Banaue Rice Terraces-inspired real estate development called “The Rise at Monterazzas” at the Monterazzas de Cebu, project head Slater Young announced that it is aiming to secure a prestigious five-star BERDE (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) certification.

BERDE is a green building rating system that measures, verifies, and monitors the performance of buildings above and beyond existing mandatory building and environmental regulations and standards.

“We are taking a step further to register with BERDE, an independent company, just to make sure that we are doing it right. Because I feel like the project can be a good example for sustainable development,” said Young in an interview on the sidelines of the recently concluded 31st National Developers Convention at the Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu.

The ultra-luxurious residential condominium project, known as “The Rise at Monterazzas” set to be developed within the expansive 200-hectare Monterazzas de Cebu, has triggered concerns among environmental groups and the Cebuano community. There is a prevailing apprehension that this project could exacerbate the existing issue of flooding in Cebu.

According to Young, securing a BERDE certification, especially achieving a coveted five-star rating, would serve as concrete evidence that “The Rise at Monterazzas” is genuinely committed to sustainability.

He emphasized that even before the project’s official announcement, his diverse team of engineering experts had diligently implemented robust flood mitigation measures to address potential concerns.

One of the sustainability features at The Rise at Monterrazas — located at the foot of a mountain in Cebu City — as shared by Young “is a drip irrigation system for collecting all the rainwater to a tank down below, and then we have an irrigation system to benefit the surrounding gardens promoting sustainability.”

Young clarified that the uniqueness of the project lies in its pioneering concept within the Philippines, although this concept has been successfully implemented worldwide.              Understandably, he added that the novelty of the project has raised questions.

“Behind me is a team of probably a hundred people just working on the designs. The flooding issue has been already solved. We already put measures in place even before we announced the project. We are working with a lot of teams with different expertise. I am just the one leading everybody,” Young explained.

The entire Monterazzas de Cebu, which was launched in the mid-2000, already had secured ECC (Environmental Compliance Certificate) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), but with the development of “The Rise at Monterazzas,” the new major stakeholder of Monterazzas, 8990 Holdings Inc., has added an amendment to its ECC, Young said.

Monterazzas de Cebu, originally owned by the Villalon family of Cebu, is located in the huge prime hillside estates that cover several barangays in Cebu City including Guadalupe, Labangon, Sapang Daku, and Buhisan.

In 2019, mass housing developer 8990 Holdings Inc., acquired 72.83 percent stake in Villalon-owned Genvi Development Corporation.

The Rise at Monterazzas

This luxury residential project, “The Rise” is designed to build a total of 146 units with a minimum lot area of 300 square meters. Houses are priced from P60 million and up, depending on the location and specifications.

Young, a civil engineer assured that the project would seamlessly integrate with the natural landscape of the mountains. He reaffirmed his team’s commitment to environmental preservation and compliance with all necessary regulations. Their aspiration is to attain the highest possible BERDE ranking, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and ecological responsibility.

“Even a one-star BERDE ranking is hard to get,” he added.

Although the project is currently holding only a temporary license-to-sell (T-LTS), Young said “We are doing well.”

“These are fairly expensive properties,” the former PBB housemate admitted adding that what is surprising he said is, aside from the local well-off buyers, “we have a lot of inquiries from abroad who appreciate our designs.” — (FREEMAN)