LANDCO Pacific Corp. will not contest the suspension of the development permits of its huge 200-hectare development in the hills of Cebu City, after getting the blame for a flood downhill which displaced some 10 families last week.

Instead, the company promised to concentrate on working on its drainage system, composed of  building small dams or water detention ponds to delay runoff water from running from the upland to the city’s urban centers, before they go back to city hall and ask for the resumption of their development work.

Landco president Alfred Xerez-Burgos Jr. said last week’s flood, caused by Typhoon Ambo, was only a small “glitch” in the company’s ambitious Monterrazas de Cebu project.

“It was a glitch. Things like that happen. When you are carving a project like this it will take a while for all the things to be put in place. What is important is we are doing something about it,” Xerez-Burgos told reporters during the official launch of the project Friday.

Landco executive vice president and chief operating officer Francis Ceballos said the company will concentrate on working on the fifth of their water detention and siltation dams, which they intend to finish by May. They will then go back to city hall to work on the reissuance of their development permits.

“We commend the city government for actually doing something. Cebu City is the only city who is very serious in doing its work,” Ceballos said.

Ceballos said the flood was a “freak” event caused by the sudden formation of Ambo into a full-scale typhoon right over Cebu. He said some parts of Cebu have always had drainage problems even before the Monterrazas development.

Landco officials said sales and market interest in the project has not diminished, while the incident showed how the company is committed to live up to the high standards set by the city government.

Cebu Mayor Tomas Osmeña ordered the suspension of  Landco development permits when residents in barangay Guadalupe blamed the upland development project for the flood that hit parts of the barangay last Monday.

Osmeña’s house is also located near the flooded area near the main roadway to Monterrazas de Cebu.

Ceballos said Landco has committed to build 25 detention ponds to prevent water brought by rain to the uphills to run straight down to the flat urban Cebu City. “Now we have to plant more trees,” Ceballos said.

Started in 2007, Monterrazas de Cebu spans four kilometers of hilly land and 200 hectares of property covering portions of barangays Guadalupe, Tisa, Labangon, Buhisan and Sapangdaku, all in Cebu City.  W. Rodolfo III

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