CABANATUAN CITY — Justin Quiban tightened his grip on the ICTSI Lakewood Championship, turning the P3-million tournament into a potential runaway with an eagle-backed 68 that stretched his lead to five shots at the halfway mark on Wednesday.

Coming off a blistering, record-setting 62, Quiban cooled down but stayed firmly in control, assembling a steady 33-35 round under another scorching day to pull away from the pack.

At 14-under 130 after 36 holes, Quiban built a sizable cushion over Ryan Monsalve, who charged with a 67 — also highlighted by an eagle — to claim solo second at 135.

Korean Taewon Ha kept within striking distance with a 67 of his own, climbing to third at 136.

“I felt I hit the driver just as well. If anything, I just wasn’t holing as many putts as I did yesterday. But I was hitting my lines — it’s just how it goes sometimes,” Quiban said.

“I’m focused on what I need to do. The plan is to stay in the present and stay locked in, and I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of that,” he added.

Monsalve, despite the five-shot deficit, remains confident.

“I hit my drives better yesterday, but I was able to manage my misses today,” said Monsalve, who limited his mistakes to just two bogeys after a rocky opening round.

“I also finished stronger today. I’ve been putting well and hope to continue that for the last two rounds,” he said.

He added that aggression will be key moving forward.

“The gameplan is to take advantage of opportunities on the long holes — be aggressive off the tee to leave shorter clubs in. It makes the greens bigger for me, especially with how firm they are.”

Monsalve showcased that approach on the par-5 eighth, launching a monster drive before sticking a 9-iron from 155 yards to 35 feet and draining the eagle putt.

Rupert Zaragosa made his move with a 66, climbing to solo fourth at 137, while Lloyd Go and Keanu Jahns carded identical 68s to share fifth.

Rico Depilo (67) and Jeffren Lumbo (70) joined erstwhile runner-up Miki Ryoma at seventh with 139, after Ryoma stumbled with a 73 following his opening 66.

Defending champion Sean Ramos slipped with a 72 after a first-round 68, dropping into a tie for 10th at 140 alongside Dino Villanueva, Fidel Concepcion and Russell Bautista.

Villanueva impressed with a 67, highlighted by four straight birdies to open his back nine. Concepcion rallied with three birdies in his final six holes for a 69, while Bautista eagled No. 8 but offset it with four bogeys for a 72.

A total of 43 players made the cut at 148, including Gerald Rosales (72), Paul Echavez (73), Mars Pucay (74), Tae Won Kim (75) and Brycen Ko (79).

Quiban’s round, however, was far from perfect.

Starting on the back nine, he opened with a birdie on No. 10 but stumbled with a double bogey on the par-3 11th. He quickly recovered with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14, then stayed steady before birdying the par-5 fourth for the second straight day.

He added a birdie on the par-3 sixth, missed an up-and-down on the seventh, then delivered the highlight of his round — an eagle on the par-5 eighth after a superb drive and a precise second shot from 160 yards to within four feet.

“The good performances come when you keep doing the same things right. The key is consistency over all four days,” Quiban said.

“There’s always pressure, but it’s a good thing. I like putting myself in this position — it’s how you learn. I’m just trying to handle it better each time.”

Despite his commanding lead, Quiban remains cautious heading into the final two rounds, with Monsalve surging late and a tightly packed chasing group ready to pounce on any opening.