THE Games and Amusements Board (GAB) expects the specific guidelines for the conduct of practices in professional basketball and football to be released next week.
GAB chairman Baham Mitra and the agency’s division heads recently met with Department of Health policy and technology section head Rodley Desmond Bautista, who announced in a recent ‘Kamustahan sa GAB’ online session about the possibility that the specifics on the return to practice by professional ballclubs such as in the PBA will soon be released.
In a statement, Bautista said the “Joint Administrative Order (JAO) for the conduct of professional and non-professional sports physical conditioning activities may be released next week after the approval of DOH Legal Department is obtained.”
The PBA’s formal start of practice, originally scheduled July 20 or 22, was postponed as the JAO has yet to be released by the IATF, which previously allowed in principle the resumption of training of professional ballclubs.
GAB has lauded the efforts of the PBA and the Philippines Football League to create strategic health protocols for the return of the practice.
In the meeting, GAB said PBA deputy commissioner and operations manager Eric Castro vowed that the league will follow GAB’s medical guidelines and DOH’s minimum health and safety protocols, including the appointment of health and safety officers and the mandatory COVID-19 testing of PBA players and personnel.
PFL commissioner Coco Torre, meanwhile, presented the league’s ’11 Core Strategies’ which will be followed once physical conditioning activities resume.
Torre also said the PFL will conduct a contactless registration process and online health monitoring system for their players, coaches, and support staffs by using exclusive QR codes.
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