The well-known Filipino surfer John Mark Tokong, winner of the Cloud 9 QS, representative of his country in several ISA events and competitor in the CS and QS of the Australasia region, received the good news today that he will be on the CT in his home country, the WSL reported in a press release.

It will be the first CT event ever held in the Philippines and will take place between October 31 and November 10.

In addition to Tokong, there will be two other Filipinos, a woman and a man, who will be determined through local trials to be held prior to the event.

Tokong won the wave four times: 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

The surfer stated: "Honestly, at first it was hard to believe; having the opportunity to compete in a CT event during my home vacation is one of my biggest dreams. I'm so grateful for the opportunity and excited to represent my hometown. Everyone was so excited to hear the news when the event was announced. We've always known how special this wave is, and now the whole world can see it. It's a proud moment for the local community, especially for all the kids growing up here who dream of surfing at the highest level."

"The CT surfers are all incredible, but this wave has its own personality. Surfers who adapt quickly and make smart decisions will have a huge advantage. Honestly, I'd be happy to surf with anyone. Just sharing the bill with the best surfers in the world is already an honor. If I had to choose, I'd love to surf against Gabriel Medina or Italo Ferreira. That would add to my core memories," he added.

"The WSL is delighted to award John Mark 'Marama' Tokong a wildcard entry for the Philippines Pro presented by the Philippine Sports Commission," said WSL APAC President Andrew Stark. "Marama has become synonymous with Cloud 9 over the past decade, and there is no better person to represent the Philippines in the country's first Championship Tour event. His accomplishments have helped inspire a new generation of Filipino surfers, and after everything he has achieved on this wave, it will be incredibly special to see him compete against the best in the world in front of his home community. We know the local support behind Marama will be tremendous, and we can't wait to see him showcase both his talent and Siargao's world-class waves on the international stage."