MANILA – The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) said on Thursday the joint administrative order (JAO) that will pave the way for the return of sports practices amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic may be released next week.
The development was a result of a meeting between GAB chairman Baham Mitra, its division heads, and Department of Health (DOH) policy and technology section chief Rodley Bautista.
In a statement, GAB said it is just waiting for the approval from the DOH legal department before the JAO will be released.
Once the JAO is put in place, sports athletes, whether individual or team, can resume their training as soon as possible provided that they follow the health and safety protocols.
The resumption of sports practice is seen as the first step toward the return of local sporting events amid the pandemic.
PBA, PFL lauded
Meanwhile, GAB commended the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Philippines Football League (PFL) for their protocols set so that they return to practice.
Philippine Football Federation secretary general Ed Gastanes, PFL commissioner Coco Torre, and PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro unveiled their leagues' respective guidelines during an online meeting among GAB's stakeholders on Wednesday.
Torre first revealed the PFL's "11 core strategies" that will be implemented once its season kicks off by September the soonest.
He also bared that the league would now adopt a contactless registration process and online health-monitoring system for the member clubs' players, coaches, and support staff.
The processes will be done using quick response codes, he added.
Gastanes, on the other hand, said GAB can oversee the training sessions by giving agency live streaming access.
Castro, meanwhile, said the PBA would follow the GAB medical guidelines and the DOH's minimum health and safety protocols.
The league has mandated the teams to undergo reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing for their players and personnel. (PNA)
