TAGAYTAY City will host the Philippine leg of the torch relay for the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games on Monday (March 27), Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said Wednesday.

The torch relay began Tuesday (March 21) around the World Heritage Site Angkor Wat in Siem Reap with 45 days to go before the SEA Games Opening Ceremony on May 5.

The torch relay will be staged at the Tagaytay City BMX and Skatepark near City Hall starting at 7 a.m. with Tolentino and POC officials welcoming Cambodia’s Ambassador to the Philippines Phan Peuv.

“The POC welcomes the Philippine leg of the torch relay, a solemn ceremony that formally signals Cambodia’s first-time hosting of the SEA Games,” Tolentino said.

Also gracing the event are embassy representatives from the SEA Games member countries, national athletes, para athletes and Tagaytay City students.

The torch relay left Cambodia Wednesday (March 22) for Vietnam before heading to the Philippines.

It will then proceed to Brunei, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos before returning to Cambodia on April 27.

Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen led the torch-lighting ceremony at the famed Angkor Wat temple.

The host country is expecting 11,453 athletes and officials with the Philippines fielding more than 800 in the 608-event, 38-sport Cambodia Games that end on May 16.

The POC scheduled a formal sendoff ceremony for Team Philippines on April 15 at the Philippine International Convention Center.