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Local officials led by Negros Occidental Governor Joseph Marañon and Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia are expected to grace the opening rites.
Leading the Mindanao teams are Davao City's Holy Cross of Davao College, the 2004 men’s chess champion, and University of Mindanao.
Other competing schools from Mindanao include Mindanao State University-Marawi City, Xavier University-Cagayan De Oro City, Ateneo De Davao University-Davao City, Ateneo De Zamboanga University and Brokenshire College.
Twenty-one team titles are at stake in 11 sports disciplines – athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, football, lawn tennis, table tennis, swimming, taekwondo and volleyball, which will all be played in the men and women's divisions, and the men's sepak takraw.
Defending their titles this year are Far Eastern University in men and women's volleyball and men's taekwondo; De La Salle (women's football), University of the East (women's taekwondo), host St. La Salle (men's football), West Negros College (men's basketball and women's chess) and University of Negros Occidental-Recoleto s, men's chess.