Teams playing in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup for Women are in town for the tournament that starts Sunday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Five-time champions China have long been in the country as an early bird and have been training at the competition venue.
Teams from Australia, Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam are already in the country with Chinese-Taipei, South Korea, and Iran as the last arrivals.
A two-day preliminary inquiry started on Friday to determine the final rosters for the Sunday opener.
The continental tournament begins with a Group A showdown between China and South Korea at 1 p.m., to be followed by the lone Group B match between Japan and Thailand at 3 p.m.The Philippines will take on Vietnam in the other Group A match at 7 p.m. to cap the tripleheader.
Placed in Pool A, the hosts look to become one of the top four teams to qualify for the quarterfinals. The fifth-placed team in Pool A will finish in ninth place.
Pool B was reduced to four teams after the withdrawal of Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
