The pre-judging of participants will be held on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.
Seven countries competing are the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia ,Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam with the national team seeing action in six weight categories.
The Filipinos who hope to do their share in the country’s bid for the overall crown are Rex Dellava (light flyweight), Fernando Faroden (flyweight), Michael Borenaga (bantamweight), Armando Villasoto (lightweight), Alfredo Trazona Jr. (welterweight) and Jesus Duga (light middleweight).
The event is one of two disciplines to be held at the GSIS Theater, the other being the muay thai, the traditional art of Thai self-defense which will start today and run until Sunday.
Ayochok, technical director of the Philippine Federation of Bobybuilders, said they hoped to do better than the team which won only one gold in the 1991 Manila Games and they could achieve the feat in the lower categories of the event.
"Had we prepared six months or more I’m sure we could have better chances. We can go up to level despite our short preparation," said Ayochok.
The team trained under Jun Macarol of the PFB who took over from former mentor Dong Celorio in the crucial run-up to the Games.
"Our best bets to win the gold will be Faroden and Borenaga although we also have good chances of winning in the light flyweight (Dellava), welterweight (Trazona) and the light middleweight (Duga)," said Llora, this year’s reigning Mr. Philippines who will not compete.
Meanwhile, the Filipino bodybuilders expect tough challenge from Vietnam’s Pham Yan Mach and Ly Duc and Malaysia’s Sazali Bin Abd Samad. — Nicole Pauline Cruz