Pinoy Big Brother alum and engineer Slater Young is receiving backlash from concerned individuals following the unveiling of his latest real estate project in Cebu.
Netizens, after getting a glimpse of the project's scale model, immediately took to the internet to voice out their concern about the possible harmful environmental effects of the property.
For context, the property, called The Rise at Monterrazas, will be built on the mountainside in Guadalupe, Cebu City.
In a YouTube video, Slater described the design as inspired by the Banaue Rice Terraces, fondly referred to as the "Eight Wonder of the World" and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Philippines.
The setting of the property didn't sit well with some, calling it "detached from reality" and "dangerous" as it threatens the ecosystem in the area.
Others expressed dread at the thought of wide-scale deforestation during construction, leading to possible disasters such as landslides and flooding.
"Very wrong," one comment on X (formerly Twitter) reads.
"Bakit mo tatapyasin ang bundok? Leave the mountains alone."
"ARCHITECTURALLY FORWARD"
Slater, explaining the concept and design of the project, described it as "architecturally forward, sustainable, and usable."
Interestingly, the project is being hyped as environment-friendly and a blueprint for future designs suited to today's time.
"We pushed everything towards the mountain and just worked with the terrain. So each and every space was pushed towards the back and with that, we were able to create this free-flowing design," enthused Slater.
"But not only that, this whole structure is spread out across the mountain making it a whole lot safer and less yung environmental impact natin."
He added, “We wanted to create a truly unique and special project."
On its Facebook page, developer Monterrazas Prime Cebu highlighted the property's eco-friendly features such as a rainwater irrigation system, utilizing solar energy, and electric-car-ready infrastructure for guests and residents.
MIXED REACTIONS
Right away, Slater was inundated with criticisms after the video was uploaded online.
slater young if you have nothing else to do please stay away from the mountains of cebu. that was so out of touch and detached from the current environmental situation in the city
— cling? (@cleisteileyy) August 27, 2023
I know he's one, however, we'll never really know. Aside from earthquakes, we have several typhoons in PH. I live in Cebu and na experience ko ang hagupit ni Odette which I never expected. The area where Slater plans to build his empire is very prone to landslides.
— snowflake?? (@autumnof1995) August 27, 2023
The first time i saw this project of slater on my news feed, i knew that there is something off.
— jas (@mhenxxi) August 27, 2023
..and turns out that i'm right. https://t.co/B6SzxhZOT8
The 'Banaue inspired' design of Slater Young is breathtaking, but the irony of having a green architecture agenda while destroying the natural environment. In exchange for what? A luxury condo hotel. It's a no for me.
— achilles (@chrsdltr) August 26, 2023
Kawawa naman yung bundok na makakalbo at humaharang sa mga pagbaha at flashfloods dahil sa project ni Slater. kapag natuloy to baka gayahin at magusunuran na yung iba, kawawang mother nature :( https://t.co/hok89eJlz2
— Glelhov (@Glelhov) August 27, 2023
There were also those who defended Slater and the project, arguing that the concept went through careful studies and approval from government agencies to eliminate dangers.
i dont get the hate over slater young jud. can we just for once appreciate Filipino craft? so much about the bashing over plagiarism, environmental kemerot or it being elitist. daghang government projects mas labaw pa ana pero wa gani moy comment?
— Cutie, CPA, CMA (US) (@cpacma2023) August 27, 2023
Hep hep napakaraming misinformed criticisms from the madlang twters, akala mo naman ang gagaling. Maybe if u guys watched his video, you'd understand and appreciate the effort behind the development. This is privately owned, residential zone, plot of land that's on a mountain
— angle obaby (@samsungstunner) August 26, 2023
Wokes crying over Slater Young's project
— Patrick (@Patrickpaoo) August 27, 2023
as if may magagawa kayo
Galit sa mga mayayaman pero ikaw mismo gusto yumaman
Hypocrites!
RECENT ISSUE
This is the second controversy that Slater got involved in within less than four months.
In May, Slater was heavily criticized for his view that it's normal for men to fantasize about other women outside their relationships.
Slater issued an apology later, saying, "Sometimes, you think that you did something okay and it takes a little while for it to sink in na, ‘Oo nga, 'no. Mali pala talaga ako.'"
Read: Slater Young apologizes over controversial quote on men fantasizing about other women
He added, "It took a few days to sink in, parang it took a lot of reading through comments because I wanted to understand why this was the case.
"Kasi feeling ko, nasa bubble ako na hindi ko nakita kung ano yung nakikita ng iba.
“And I finally realized na, ‘Oh my God, yeah, I really made a mistake because I’m giving it power to say it’s okay, me saying that it’s normal, kind of normalizes it and makes it okay.'
"The last thing in my mind and my heart would be to objectify women."