Rain or Shine inks Capiznon Manaytay to a two-year PBA deal

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters signed Capiznon hooper Christian Manaytay to a two-year rookie contract, announced on Nov. 11, 2025.

The native of Roxas City, Capiz, was the 10th overall pick during this year’s PBA Rookie Draft ceremony but didn’t suit up immediately for Rain or Shine due to his active contract with the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in the MPBL.

When the Rice Vanguards exited the MPBL playoffs, the Elasto Painters quickly tapped the services of the savvy big man to fill the void left by the injured Keith Datu, who sustained a season-ending injury.

Datu, a core member of Rain or Shine’s frontcourt rotation, was ruled out for the rest of the PBA Philippine Cup due to a patellar tendon injury.

Manaytay will seek to replace his rebounding and paint scoring—two areas he excels in—following a solid outing with the Rice Vanguards.

The Capiznon first made waves as a crafty post scorer with the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers in the UAAP.

Known for his fluid footwork and soft touch beneath the rim, Manaytay looks to add more offensive threat for the Elasto Painters with a load of games still left in the regular season.

Manaytay once finished a UAAP game with perfect shooting from the field, capping off the win over the UE Red Warriors with 10 points, three rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

Aside from his UAAP and MPBL stints, Manaytay also had the chance to play for Manila Melmac in the FIBA 3×3 circuit.

Manaytay teamed up with former No. 1 3×3 player Mac Tallo, Matt Salem, and Beninese import Adeshokan Odou.