GAMES Amusement Board chairman Abraham Kahlil Mitra is appealing to the Technical Working Group (TWG) that they will be given the chance to present suggested medical and safety protocols not just to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for Emerging Infectious Diseases.
This after the IATF referred GAB to coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH)-TWG for the drafting of a Joint Administrative Order for the promulgation of health and safety protocols for professional sports in accordance with the DOH’s existing minimum health and safety guidelines.
However, Mitra said they have not gotten any schedule since they made the presentation to IATF last June 10.
“This is the athletes’ livelihood. Parang health then economy then amusement ang priority and I understand them pero kawawa din mga athletes eh, livelihood nila ito. [It seemed that the priority is health, then the economy, then amusement, and I understand them but it's pitiful to our athletes because this is their livelihood],” Mitra said in a messenger.
“Boxing and football have resumed already in other countries which we pointed out in our presentation to IATF. And, this is with no audience,” he stressed.
It was recalled that GAB earlier submitted a 59-page document to the AITF in an attempt to allow professional sports to start as long as protocols are observed.
During the presentation, GAB demonstrated four different virtual simulators containing its proposed health and safety procedures on individual workouts and games involving the Philippine Basketball Association and the Philippine Football Federation.