ILOILO CITY --- Negros Occidental FA starts its quest of reclaiming the most prestigious crown in Philippine football today when it battles unheralded Masbate in the PFF-National Men's Open Championships here.

Powered by five former members of the Philippine Team, the NOFA goes into the 8:30 a.m. match against Masbate as the odds on favorite, after finishing second behind champion NCR in last year's tournament in Cagayan de Oro.

The match will be held simultaneously with the NCR-Baguio clash at the Barotac Nuevo pitch and the North Cotabato-Zambales encounter at the St. Barbara ballfield.

Powerhouse Iloilo, which is bracketed with Baguio and defending champion, begins its bid against Iligan at 2:30 p.m. at the La Paz field, where the opening ceremonies will be held. San Carlos-born Arnie Pasinabo, who played right wing for the RP SEA Games team, Jerome Orcullo, Ali Bernard Rojas, Reydric Viliran and Ziggy Tonog will lead the Negrenses campaign.

Negros won the crown on home turf in 2002, bagged second runner-up honors two years later, before losing the in a gripping penalty shootout in last year's finals against NCR.

Also reinforcing the Negros team, which swept the regional eliminations in Dumaguete, is Cebu defender Heink Ruiz.

Despite the welcome additions to the squad, the Negrenses are in for a tough grind with NCR parading the finest booters in the country, including national team standouts Emelio Caligdong, Ali Borromeo and Ian Araneta.

Curiously, Negrenses Gil Villanueva, Philip Caballero and goalkeeper Edward Sacapaño will play for NCR, mentored by Army coach Greg Brilliantes.

But the Negrenses are expected to breeze through the eliminations and will possibly meet either NCR or Iloilo in the semis.

Iloilo also boasts of a formidable squad that includes Ruben Doctora Jr., veterans Richmond Braga, SEA Games veteran Bervic Italia, Jezurel Tonog and Ardesel Juarez.

Completing the Negros roster are midfielders Rolando Ian Treyes, John Peter Ignalaga and teenager Jason Panhay defenders Michael Benedicto, Carlos Bolo, Tonog, West Negros College's Joel Ballo-Allo and Simon Hulleza.

Pasinabo and Rojas alternate as strikers and midfielders, while Fredrick Jan Serios, Floriano Pasilan Jr. and Viliran will stand at the forefront of the attack up front.

Archie Bayquin, the best goalkeeper in the NOFA provincial eliminations, is expected to be the first-choice keeper for Negros with La Salle teammate Henderson Campo as reliever. *CPT

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