THE government is listening and recognizing the plight of Filipino professional athlete, especially during the pandemic.

This was stressed by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), headed by Chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra, as it expressed gratitude to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) for allowing the resumption of practices of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and Philippine Football League (PFL) in areas under GCQ and MGCQ.

“This move of the government, thru the IATF, only shows that the government has recognized the plight of Filipino professional athletes, especially during these trying times,” Mitra told People’s Tonight.

A three-time lawmaker, Mitra said the GAB will meet both the PBA and the PFL to discuss the possible guidelines and facilitate the immediate implementation of the IATF’s approval.

“Of course, the health and safety of our athletes are of paramount importance, so, on our part, we will ensure our compliance with the directives of the IATF,” explained Mitra.

Mitra also said the approval is based on the Supplemental Guidelines to the Joint Administrative Order No. 2020 – 0001 of the PSC, GAB, and the DOH or the guidelines on the conduct of athletic bubble-type training and competition during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This Supplemental Guidelines will also allow all professional sports leagues under the tutelage of GAB to resume training under a bubble modality in GCQ and MGCQ areas,” added Mitra.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ed Andaya