Almost 10 thousand student athletes from all 17 regions of the country gather in Dumaguete for the Philippines’ largest sporting event.

The opening ceremonies and parade of athletes mark the official start of Palarong Pambansa 2013

The mood is festive and celebratory as the games open in front of a jam packed Gov Mariano Perdices Memorial Stadium.

Silliman University’s marching band leads the parade which passes through parts of the city before arriving at the stadium.

Teams wear their colors loud and proud as they wave their hats, and twirl umbrellas in front of the crowd.

Over 3000 medals are up for grabs in 18 sports. Billiards and wushu also debut as demonstration sports.

Negros Oriental, this year’s host, dished out 25 million pesos to ensure the success of the games.

This is also the first year Palarong Pambansa winners will receive cash prizes from the Department of Education. The week-long competition starts on Monday, April 22 and will end on Saturday, April 27

Natashya Gutierrez, Rappler, Dumaguete. – Rappler.com