Actor Albie Casiño publicly called out fellow ‘Pinoy Big Brother’ alum Slater Young for his silence amid renewed backlash surrounding Young’s controversial hillside development project, The Rise at Monterrazas, following the devastating floods in Cebu caused by Typhoon Tino.
On Friday, November 7, Casiño took to his Instagram Stories to question Young’s lack of response as online criticism intensified, with many linking the luxury residential project to worsening flooding in the area.
“Check comments. I thought you were listening to feedback? Seems like you’re awfully quiet now, bud [Slater Young],” wrote Casiño.
Casiño also reposted several posts condemning the “greed and corruption” allegedly behind the flood control failures, alongside a quote from the late environmentalist Gina Lopez that read, “If you kill the environment, you kill everything.”
Public outrage against The Rise at Monterrazas resurfaced this week after heavy rains submerged parts of Cebu. Many residents and environmental advocates raised concerns that hillside developments such as Monterrazas could “worsen water runoff and destabilize slopes in the area.”
Located along the slopes of Barangay Guadalupe, the terraced housing project — inspired by the Banaue Rice Terraces — has long been criticized for its potential environmental impact. When first unveiled in 2023, The Rise at Monterrazas drew sharp backlash from local communities and environmental groups.
Young, who is also a licensed civil engineer, had previously defended the project, saying it underwent “around 300 design revisions” and complied with all necessary environmental and engineering standards.
“Narinig namin lahat ng mga concerns ninyo… our goal here is to listen,” Young said in 2023, a statement Casiño referenced in his post.
The actor later shared — and then deleted — an AI-generated image depicting the alleged environmental effects of Monterrazas, clarifying afterward: “I may have posted an AI-generated image and I apologize for that. But that doesn’t mean real damage hasn’t been done!”
In the wake of the controversy, both Young and his wife, content creator Kryz Uy, have reportedly limited comments on their social media posts. Young has not issued any new statements addressing the criticism.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced that it is conducting a “comprehensive on-site investigation” into the Monterrazas development to verify its compliance with environmental regulations and the conditions of its Environmental Compliance Certificate.
As of Friday, at least 224 people have been confirmed dead and 135 remain missing in the aftermath of Typhoon Tino, with Cebu among the hardest-hit provinces.
