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THE House of Representatives on Tuesday pushed for the inclusion of eight additional reform bills in the administration’s priority legislative agenda.

In his first Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting, Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III said the House agenda for the 20th Congress is anchored on economic growth, stronger social protection, and governance reforms, with a focus on ensuring affordable food, creating sustainable jobs, expanding digital connectivity, and improving public services for Filipinos.

The meeting, held in Malacañang, was attended by House leaders, including Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.

Dy affirmed the chamber’s commitment to work closely with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, and other government leaders to fast-track the passage of vital measures.

‘We meet today in a spirit of collaborative governance to align our legislative agenda with the Administration’s Philippine Development Plan and its 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda,’ Dy said.

According to Dy, 32 of the 33 measures identified by the executive branch have already been filed in the House, which he said ‘sets a positive tone for our productive collaboration with all branches of government.’

During the meeting, Dy presented eight new measures for possible inclusion in the Ledac priority list, among them a Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Framework to ensure swift and transparent calamity response and a bill to strengthen the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) by extending its corporate life and opening select lands for development.

The House is also pushing a Presidential Merit Scholarship Program to reward outstanding graduates from low- and middle-income families and a bill disqualifying relatives of officials up to the fourth degree from government contracts to strengthen integrity in public service.

To safeguard democracy, the chamber seeks to regulate digital campaigning through a fair use of social media, AI, and internet technology in elections. It also proposes to modernize the Bureau of Immigration by professionalizing its ranks, adding visa categories, and upgrading border security.

The proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act, on the other hand, aims to stabilize prices and empower the National Food Authority, while the Magna Carta for Barangays will institutionalize long-overdue benefits and ensure resources for local officials and communities.

‘With the President’s leadership and the collective will of this Council, we are confident that we can achieve these legislative goals,’ said Dy.

‘The House of Representatives is responding to the call of the people by crafting laws that directly improve their lives,’ he added.

Asia’s quietest revolution is unfolding not in parliaments or protests, but in its fields. Over the past 30 years, agriculture’s grip on the region’s workforce has loosened dramatically. Fewer people are farming. This is not news.

What is telling is why-and where the exodus leads. In Vietnam, former rice farmers now assemble electronics in industrial parks near Ho Chi Minh City. In China, many have become urban service workers or returned to larger, mechanized family plots that operate more like agribusinesses than subsistence farms.

But in the Philippines, the path out of the paddies often ends at a sari-sari store, behind the wheel of a tricycle, or on a construction site with no contract, no benefits, and no certainty beyond tomorrow’s wage.

The numbers speak plainly enough. Agricultural employment in the Philippines has fallen from 45 percent of the workforce in 1990 to just 23 percent in 2023. On the surface, this mirrors regional trends. But look closer. In countries that managed their agrarian transition well, workers moved into formal, higher-productivity jobs. In the Philippines, they moved into informality. More than one-third of Filipino workers (37 percent according to the Philippine Statistics Authority) now operate outside the formal economy-selling snacks, driving for ride-hailing apps without insurance, or taking odd jobs with no safety net.

This is not economic transformation. It is economic evasion.

Part of the problem lies in stubbornly low agricultural productivity. Philippine rice yields average just over 4 metric tons per hectare- well below Vietnam’s nearly 6 and China’s 7 or more. Fertilizer use tells part of the story: Filipino farmers apply about 90 to 100 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare, compared to Vietnam’s 180 to 200.

But the issue is not reluctance-it is access. With the vast majority of farms under 2 hectares, most smallholders simply cannot afford the inputs that would boost their output, even when the math says they should. And without reliable irrigation, only about half the country’s cropland has it. Filipino farming remains a gamble with the weather, not a profession with predictable returns.

Then there is government policy, or the performance of it. The 2019 Rice Tariffication Law was hailed as a bold step toward modernization- replacing import quotas with tariffs and creating a dedicated fund for farmer support. Five years later, the results are underwhelming. A significant portion of that fund has yet to reach actual producers. Instead, it lingers in administrative limbo or flows toward projects that benefit middlemen and agro-dealers more than the men and women knee-deep in mud at planting season.

China’s experience offers both warning and wisdom. After decades of chemical-intensive farming that degraded soils and polluted waterways, Beijing reversed course. It capped fertilizer use, invested in precision agriculture, and encouraged consolidation through cooperatives and larger operational units. Yields did not collapse-they held steady or even improved slightly.

The Philippines has no such strategy. Fertilizer runoff continues to foul rivers like the Pasig and lakes like Laguna de Bay, yet enforcement of environmental safeguards remains inconsistent at best. Climate-resilient rice varieties-many developed right here in Los Baños-exist in abundance, but they rarely reach the farmers who need them most, thanks to a skeletal extension system that has not been meaningfully updated in decades.

Land reform remains the ghost that haunts every agricultural discussion. The agrarian reform program launched more than three decades ago did distribute millions of hectares, but much of it was marginal upland or forested terrain. The best rice lands in Central Luzon and other prime regions remain tightly held by political families and corporate entities. Without secure tenure or the possibility of scale, smallholders cannot invest, cannot innovate, and cannot compete-not even with their neighbors.

And let us not overlook the women. They constitute more than one-third of the agricultural labor force. They plant, weed, harvest, dry, mill, and sell. Yet they hold a tiny fraction of land titles and are routinely excluded from credit programs, training sessions, and decision-making forums. Their labor is essential-but their agency is optional in the eyes of many policymakers.

Rural youth see all this and make the rational choice: they leave. Not because they hate the land, but because the land no longer offers a future with dignity, security, or respect. Until that changes-until farming becomes a viable livelihood, not just a cultural relic-no amount of political theater about ‘rice self-sufficiency’ will fill the fields. The ships will keep arriving. And the quietest revolution in Asia will remain the one the Philippines keeps postponing.

The Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP) announced that the nomination deadline to the 6th Bank Marketing Awards (BMA) has been extended until October 10 upon request of its member banks and due to recent inclement weather conditions. The BMA is a biennial awards program open to banks operating in the Philippines, and in partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Financial Sector Forum.

The BMA aims to recognize outstanding marketing and communication initiatives undertaken by financial institutions to further elevate local bank marketing practices and encourage professionals to strive for excellence by highlighting best industry programs.

This year’s BMA will have seven (7) categories – Best Product Program, Best Brand Program, Best Electronic Channel Program, Best Digital Marketing Program, Best Financial Inclusion Program, Best Customer-Centric Product or Service, and Best Sustainability Drive. The distinguished panel of judges comprised of marketing and communication experts and leaders namely former BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier, Grupo Agatep Chairman and CEO Norman Agatep, Hungry Workhorse Consultancy CEO Rey Lugtu and Forest Foundation Philippines Board Member Ma. Aurora Tolentino. Winners of the 6th Bank Marketing Awards will be announced in November.

Over the years, the Bank Marketing Awards program has become synonymous with recognizing banks that demonstrated commitment to advancing innovation, creative execution, raising awareness on consumer education and protection, creating positive customer experience and value, and making banking affordable and accessible to Filipinos. The BMA not only celebrates past achievements but also encourages banks to step forward and showcase their brand, marketing and customer-centric programs and initiatives.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Tommy Osmeña recently visited the Isla Mactan Desalination Plant in Cordova, a facility that aims to help the city’s growing water security challenges.

Codeveloped by global experts in water technology and Vivant Water, the water arm of Cebu-based and publicly listed conglomerate Vivant Corporation, the plant is the country’s first utility-scale seawater desalination facility. More than an engineering milestone, it represents a promise of resilience for thousands of Cebuano families who depend on safe and reliable water every day.

The facility uses globally recognized seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology with energy-efficient operations powered by Energy Recovery Devices (ERDs). Designed to deliver 20 million liters of potable water daily, enough to serve nearly 29,000 Cebuano households, the project is now in its final stages of testing and commissioning, before supplying the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) by end-2025. It reflects Vivant Water’s commitment to practical, sustainable innovations that address today’s needs while anticipating tomorrow’s demands, in line with the Cebu City Administration’s pursuit of scalable and sustainable solutions.

ELECTION-LAWYER Romulo Macalintal has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to look into the circumstances surrounding the notarization of sworn documents submitted as annexes by the Liga ng Mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (LMBP) in their bid to intervene in the petitions seeking to declare as constitutional Republic Act No. 12232 that extended the term of office of the incumbent barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials from three to four years.

Macalintal made the request in his nine-page ‘very urgent manifestation of grave concern with motion to clarify authenticity of certain sworn documents in intervenors’ petition for intervention’ filed last Monday before the Court.

The lawyer made the manifestation after learning that the sworn documents were notarized by controversial lawyer Petchie Rose Espera, who earlier denied and disowned the signature and notarization appearing on the affidavit submitted by Orly Regala Guteza during his appearance as witness in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation on the anomalous flood control projects of the government.

In his affidavit, Guteza claimed that he formerly served as security consultant for resigned Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizalde ‘Zaldy’ Co and was tasked to deliver suitcases containing millions of pesos each to residences of Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Macalintal noted that the signature now being disowned by Espera is the same signature of the notary public on the various sworn documents submitted by LMBP as part of the petition in intervention.

He pointed out that multiple verifications, certifications of non-forum shopping, and special powers of attorney from barangay officials across different municipalities were all purportedly subscribed and sworn before Espera on a single day, August 18, 2025.

He also noted that Espera’s signature on some of the sworn documents attached to the petition-in-intervention closely resembled the notary public’s signature on Guteza’s affidavit, indicating that it was done by the same person.

‘With due respect, petitioner finds it highly suspect how all these punong barangays in different parts of the Philippines could be gathered to prepare, explain, and adopt various resolutions [which share extremely similar wordings] and verification and certification of non-forum shopping just in one day by the same notary public,’ Macalintal stressed.

‘Hence, in view of the startling revelation, it is the petitioner’s respectful submission that the intervenors and their counsels should be directed to explain the circumstances surrounding the notarization of their aforesaid sworn statements and clarify whether they are personally subscribed and attested their respective documents before Atty. Espera,’ he added.

Macalintal explains that notarization is not a routinary act and that a public document is entitled to ‘full faith and credit,’ which makes the issue of its authenticity a matter of grave concern.

In their petitioner-in-intervention, the LMBP asked the Court to declare as constitutional Republic Act No. 12232 which effectively postponed to November 2, 2026 the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) originally set on December 1, 2025.

The two original petitions to declare as unconstitutional RA 12232 were filed by Macalintal and voters represented by Mystro Yushi P. Fujii et al.

The SC has acted on Macalintal’s petition and required the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Office of the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary, and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to submit their comments.

The comments were required not only on the petition but also on Macalintal’s plea for TRO.

Although they have won stages in the PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi (PLTdL) before or enjoyed great success on the highest Grand Tour circuits, no rider dares to predict whether they will achieve success at the 29th edition of PLTdL25, which starts in Langkawi tomorrow.

?During the riders press conference attended by this year’s PLTdL ‘favourite’ riders today, many admitted that past records or experience are not factors that can guarantee victory, whether for a stage or the general classification.

?ProTeam Uno-X Mobility, Alexander Kristoff, 38, who has collected 98 career wins including 13 Grand Tour appearances and 41 classic races, admitted it will be difficult for him to add to his collection of victories at PLTdL25.

?’The goal of coming here is indeed to win, but I realise every race has its difficulties. But I love competing in the final sprint and with several stages considered flat, I also have a chance and want to seize it,’ said Kristoff, who is racing in Malaysia for the first time but will retire after the end of this racing season.

?Moreover, the winner of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) King of Sprint orange jersey in 2024 from winning 3 stages, Matteo Malucelli, 31, who now represents the elite WorldTeam, XDS-Astana, admitted it will be difficult for him to repeat the brilliance he showed with JCL UKYO last year.

?’It’s hard to predict who will win the GC or the stages. Any rider can win, especially since many are currently in good form after just finishing the Vuelta. There are some flat routes that might favour the sprinters, while the climbs are tough even though they are not long. There will also certainly be many small groups making breakaways.

‘So PLTdL25 is an open race and anyone can win. My personal goal is also to win again while adding UCI ranking points for Astana,’ he said, admitting that being with a WorldTeam this time provides motivation to deliver the best sprints while hoping his teammate, Nicholas Vinoukurov, 23, chases the GC and the Best Asian Rider jersey.

Malucelli’s main rival is Tudor Cycling Team rider, Arvid Kleijn, who was the King of Sprint in 2023 but had to concede to Malucelli’s brilliance last year.

?’I personally asked the team to come here again despite facing a difficult and challenging season early this year due to a 12-week break after a broken collarbone in a crash during the Tour of UAE race last February.

?’The goal of coming here is to win again. I have sweet memories of winning here and I’m happy to return with a good level of fitness and can’t wait to compete in the final sprints again,’ said the Swiss rider nicknamed ‘Little Gorilla’.

?For Burgos-Burpellet BH rider who was also the King of the Mountains jersey winner last year, Mario Aparicio, the memory is still fresh and he appears with a bigger goal of chasing the overall individual green jersey sponsored by PETRONAS.

‘The opportunity to race in the Vuelta a Espana this year also gave me a lot of new experience, even though I fell ill at that time, but I have fully recovered. In fact, I’m back with the same goal and might be able to challenge for the green jersey (GC),’ said the 25-year-old rider who has been with Burgos since 2021.

?The opportunity to race in PLTdL is a new and bigger chapter in a rider’s career, and this was acknowledged by Yukiya Arashiro himself who makes a come-back after 18 years.

?Appearing in the ProTeam Solution Tech-Vini Fantini jersey, Arashiro, who first appeared in 2007 with the Nippo Corporation team, still remembers PLTdL as the top race in Asia.?’I’m happy to be back here again because I still remember it’s always filled with the warmth of the fans and fellow riders – moreover, I admit it’s a smooth and well-managed race.

‘As a team, Vini Fantini is also enthusiastic because we won at the Tour of Shanghai and most of the riders were retained and came here. Although it’s difficult, we hope to win a stage,’ said Arashiro who was courted by several world-class teams like Bbox Bouygues Telecom and Lampre-Merida (now Bahrain-Victorious) and gained experience racing in 16 GT-level races.

?PLTdL fans can also place their faith in the chances of local riders, and the double national champion representing the Terengganu Cycling Team, Muhammad Nur Aiman Rosli, 26, considered as one of the contenders.

‘I serve as a helper for our two sprinters (Harrif Saleh and Wan Abdul Rahman Hamdan), but I’m also looking for my own opportunities,’ said the national road race and individual time trial champion, who is considered capable of causing an upset through a solo breakaway.

A total of 129 riders from 22 teams will start Stage 1 of PLTdL25, the Langkawi Round Island with a distance of 96.7km at 8am tomorrow and finish at the same location at Jalan Padang Matsirat, Pekan Kuah involving three sprint zones and one Category 4 climb zone.?PLTdL25, which has 2.ProSeries status on the UCI Asia calendar, starts in Langkawi and will end in front of the PETRONAS Twin Towers on October 5th, involving a total distance of 1,244.2km.

It is organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) through the National Sports Council (MSN) and is supported by the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF).

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday said that it has taken into custody an alleged underwater Chinese drone recovered by local fishermen in Palawan waters over the weekend.

‘On Sept. 28, 2025, fishermen from Sitio Tapic, Brgy. New Colaylayan, Linapacan, discovered the approximately 12-foot-long device during routine fishing operations. Later that evening, they turned the AUV [autonomous underwater vehicle] over to Coast Guard personnel,’ it added.

The maritime law enforcement agency also stressed that this alleged UAV had been safely transported and secured at PCG Station Linapacan for further verification, technical examination, and investigation, in coordination with relevant national security agencies.

‘This incident highlights ongoing illegal marine scientific research in Philippine waters, amid a pattern of similar events involving foreign-origin autonomous AUVs,’ it added.

Preliminary observations show that the device features a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) sensor-a compact probe designed to measure seawater salinity, temperature, and depth, which are key parameters for oceanographic profiling.

The sensor includes Chinese labeling (”) and a serial number (CTD-20090334), along with visible corrosion from prolonged saltwater exposure. It is mounted on a rugged metal frame, typical of components in autonomous underwater vehicles commonly known as ‘underwater drones.’

This recovery fits into a series of similar incidents in Philippine waters dating back to July 2022, including devices found in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte (July 2022); off the Zambales coast (September 2022); Calayan Island, Cagayan (August 2024); Initao, Misamis Oriental (October 2024); and San Pascual, Masbate (December 2024).

At least three of those prior recoveries have been linked to Chinese deployment, based on evidence such as China Telecom SIM cards, iridium transceivers connected to Beijing-based HWA Create (a defense contractor), and battery packs marked by China Electronics Technology Group Corporation.

Previous forensic analyses of similar recovered AUVs have identified them as tools for advanced underwater surveillance and seafloor mapping.

The integrated CTD sensor allows for the collection of data on salinity, temperature gradients, depth, and acoustic propagation-essential for bathymetric charting and environmental monitoring. Recovered units have shown capabilities for autonomous data processing, storage, and satellite transmission, with one case revealing encrypted communications to mainland China during operations.

‘The PCG remains vigilant in safeguarding our maritime domain and protecting the livelihoods of our fisherfolk,’ PCG commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, said.

‘We commend the quick action of the local fishermen for reporting this find. This incident highlights the need for continued community awareness and a whole-of-nation approach to deter unauthorized activities in our waters,’ he added.

The device is undergoing detailed forensic examination to determine its exact origin, operational history, and potential security risks.

The public is urged to report any suspicious maritime objects to the nearest Coast Guard station.

Florante at Laura, a cutting-edge ballet version of this still relevant and timely story about love, heroism, and patriotism, returns for a second run at the Aliw Theater stage on October 3 to 5, 2025 with live orchestral music performed by the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth (OFY).

Presented in celebration of Ballet Manila’s 30th Anniversary, this restaging of National Artist Ryan Cayabyab’s original composition offers a powerful collaboration of classical music, ballet, and timeless Filipino literature set to music by the OFY, composed of 60 musicians under the baton of conductor Toma Cayabyab.

This landmark production first premiered in 2024 with thechoreography of Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance and the artistic direction of Lisa Macuja Elizalde. to sold-outaudiences and wide critical acclaim. Inspired by Francisco Balagtas’ epic poem, Ryan Cayabyab gifted his original music for Florante at Laura to the OFY, a testament to his continued support of Filipino youth and excellence in music.

It was composed with OFY in mind as its premiere orchestra, making the young musicians not just performers, but the very heart of the musical journey. This 2025, audiences will once again witness Ballet Manila’s choreography matched by the live performance of the OFY.

More than its restaging, this season also marks the digital releaseof the official music of Florante at Laura. It was professionally recorded by the OFY under the baton of Maestro Gerard Salonga at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater). The album will be available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other major streaming platforms starting October 1, 2025, bringing the spirit of the stage to listeners around the world.

For all he had already accomplished in life, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama realized he truly had not done much.

Lying in a hospital bed awaiting surgery that could potentially save his life, much less an NBA career, Wembanyama waited for relief from a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

It led the 21-year-old from France to take a two-week excursion to China to train his mind and body this summer. It spurred him to visit the NASA Space Center and broaden his imagination and his understanding of space exploration.

‘I mean, life isn’t forever and there are some experiences we’re going to miss on, it is inevitable, but I’m going to miss on the least that I can,’ Wembanyama said Monday. ‘I want to experience the most and this is something that I wanted to do and just because I’m in the NBA, I’m not going to keep myself from doing it. I want to experience those things.’

The health scare has led to a healthier, happier and even taller Wembanyama.

After being listed as 7-foot-3 in his first two seasons, Wembanyama is officially 7-4 and 240 pounds after another summer spent bulking up.

Wembanyama’s health, along with the return of De’Aaron Fox and the additions of Luke Kornet and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper, have fueled hopes the Spurs will end a six-year playoff drought.

‘You see how hard he works and how motivated he is,’ Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan said. ‘I think he’s super excited to see, and I think he’s ready. I think you guys are going to see a lot that’s going to shock you, and I think everyone’s excited and can’t wait to see him on the actual NBA court.’

Coming off winning Rookie of the Year in 2024, Wembanyama was literally towering over the world in the opening months of his second season in the NBA. In January he played in Paris as an NBA player for the first time, debuted in the All-Star Game in February, was on course to win Defensive Player of the Year for a time and his popularity was growing faster than he did as a youth.

All of it halted when Wembanyama was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder shortly after the All-Star break, ending his season on Feb. 20.

‘So, I don’t know where you heard it is thoracic on the thrombosis, but it was definitely a DVT,’ Wembanyama said, clarifying speculation.

More concerning than not playing basketball, the blood clot in his right shoulder potentially could have traveled to his lungs and led to a life-threatening pulmonary embolism.

That led to Wembanyama to many doctor’s appointments and an urgent surgery.

‘Yeah, of course, I mean it is life-changing,’ Wembanyama said. ‘I mean, spending so much time in hospitals and around doctors and hearing more bad news than I wish I heard. Of course, as you said, it is traumatic, but in the long run I think it’s going to be very beneficial, because even though I don’t wish it on nobody, it makes you understand lessons that nothing else could have made you understand.’

Not that Wembanyama was living an unrestrained life before his health scare. Since joining the league as an 18-year-old, Wembanyama goes to bed at 9 p.m., spends his days getting lost in the writings of science fiction and fantasy author Brandon Sanderson and constructing Lego models.

But Wembanyama wanted more from his life.

‘It’s a pretty unique rabbit hole you can get down for someone of his age,’ Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. ‘He is so intentional on the variety of ways that he tries to improve as a player and a person. It’s really something I’ve never witnessed or experienced in my time. It’s quite curious. It’s quite constantly trying to push himself out his comfort zone and learn new things.’

So, Wembanyama followed through on his desire to explore the NASA Space Center in Houston and to visit the Shaolin Temple in China and study Buddhism, meditation and physical training with its monks.

‘Training with the monks was an incredible experience,’ Wembanyama said. ‘Very much out of my comfort zone. It was my intent from the start, but that’s probably as far a physical activity as I’m used to doing. So it really paid off in terms of training and as a life experience as a curious person. It’s just great.’

It led to Wembanyama to deliver his first ‘real kicks’ during karate training and to increase his range of motion.

‘This is my best summer so far,’ Wembanyama said. ‘I can tell the progress is just incredible. I feel better, I look stronger and the scale says I’m heavier. So everything is a green light.’

Tudor Cycling Team rider Arvid de Kleijn won Stage 2 of the PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi 2025 (PLTdL25) from Padang Besar, Perlis, to Kepala Batas, Penang in a bunch sprint finish today.

After finishing third in Stage 1 in Langkawi yesterday, de Kleijn skillfully navigated the middle lane to pass Stage 1 winner, Matteo Malucelli of XDS-Astana while VF Group Bardiani CSF-Faizane rider, Enrico Zanoncello, took third place.

However, Malucelli still retains the PETRONAS Green Jersey for the overall General Classification (GC) leader with an accumulated time of 5 hours 30 minutes 50 seconds, just 2 seconds ahead of de Kleijn.

The gap for the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) Orange Jersey for the Sprint King is even tighter, at only 3 points.

The Best Local Rider for Stage 2 was Wan Abdul Rahman Hamdan of Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) who finished in sixth place, improving on his 12th place finish in Stage1. His teammate, Muhammad Nur Aiman Rosli, successfully defended the Rakan Muda White Jersey for the Best Asian Rider.

With no climbing zones today, St George Continental Cycling Team rider, Ben Carman, still holds the BubblesO2 Polka Dot Jersey as the King of the Mountains.

Meanwhile, Cedric Bakke Christophersen of Unibet Tietema Rocket, who attempted a solo breakaway before the finish line, was awarded the Most Combative Rider.

The healthy rivalry between the two Sprint Kings of 2024 (Malucelli) and 2023 (De Kleijn) promises a more intense battle on the remaining flat stages, with both determined to add to their collection of PLTdL stage wins.

‘It’s a great feeling. My teammates, Changizi (Sebastian), did a great job – making sure we were in the middle of the front group, and I’m happy everything worked out for us. PLTdL is a special race in my heart, but personally, I hope the weather is better for the next stages,’ said De Kleijn.

This victory marks his personal fifth stage win, following victories in Stage 1 and 6 in 2023, and Stage 4 and 5 last year.

Regarding the expected tougher rivalry with Malucelli, he said that personally, they have no issues. They are professional and they challenge each other to increase their stage-win tally.

The Swiss rider explained that although the race started in heavy rain and with slick roads, which added an almost 3km neutral zone, his team remained calm and relaxed despite attempts by some riders to break away.

He noted that Tudor only began their work at the front of the peloton in the final few kilometers before entering Kepala Batas town under blazing heat, which then culminated in a bunch sprint.

‘It was actually a tough race and I hope the weather changes for the better after this,’ said De Kleijn.

Meanwhile, Malucelli was clearly disappointed with his tactical execution in the final sprint. ‘My teammates (Astana) worked hard to pull us to the front and find a comfortable space, but perhaps I made a small mistake by sprinting too early and ran out of energy at the last moment,’ said Malucelli who won 3 stages last year with the Japanese Continental team, JCL UKYO.

Regarding the leader’s and Sprint King’s jerseys, which he has worn for two consecutive stages, the Italian rider stated he will try to defend them, even though he is aware that Stage 3 from Gerik to Pasir Puteh involves some challenging climbs.

‘I know this route because I raced it in 2018 (with Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec). We will see how the situation is tomorrow. But we will try to control the race, although we know it will be difficult since we only have six riders,’said Malucelli who has collected four PLTdL stage victories so far. Stage 3 from Gerik,Perak to Pasir Puteh, Kelantan tomorrow with a distance of 198.2km, featuring three climbing zones – Gerik (Category 3), Sri Banding (Category 2) and Puncak Titiwangsa (Category 1).

Riders will then face a flat route with three sprint zones in Jeli (km117.3), Bukit Bunga (km134.1) and Machang (km179.1) before finishing in front of the Pasir Puteh Land and District Office.