GAB report card  

The outgoing Games and Amusements Board (GAB) administration under chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra has much to be proud of. The government’s professional sports regulatory body has innovated and united much of the segmented professional sports community in a consultative tone throughout the last six years. Even during the pandemic, GAB had an even hand on the till, guiding pro sports and helping them reopen in the safest and fastest way possible. Mitra and his tireless board members Ed Trinidad and Mar Masanguid (who ran for a mayoral post in Mindanao) and Raul Lagrisola sought ways to be proactive in helping professional leagues and athletes.

GAB is, in fact, a very potent agency under the Office of the President. Unlike most other government agencies involved in sports, GAB has law enforcement powers. The Board has raided illegal cockfights, and other disallowed sports activities. They police illegal gambling all over the country, saving millions upon millions of pesos for the national government. Beyond that, Mitra has stood his ground firmly with leagues claiming not to be pro while paying their athletes substantial fees. Inevitably, they toe the line and get all their personnel licensed.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, GAB was a steadying influence not only with sports struggling to be resuscitated, but those that flourished. Chess, for example, exploded during lockdown, with sales of chess boards multiplying to 500 percent by some accounts. Also, chess finally became a pro sport, with Asia’s first Grandmaster Eugene Torre receiving the country’s first-ever professional license. E-sports likewise thrived as people were forced to stay home. GAB has consistently been licensing e-sports athletes since 2016.

GAB’s staff worked steadily throughout the pandemic, organizing successive online Philippine Professional Sports Summits on a large scale. These events brought together hundreds of stakeholders from all pro sports. Guests included members from both houses of Congress, and addressed major issues posed by the pandemic and other challenges. These helped the agency draft programs to effect important changes in the conduct of games.

Towards the end of their term, the current GAB board acquired ambulances in case of any injuries or accidents during live sports events. They had previously instituted free hematoma testing and a welfare fund for boxers. Mitra’s strong ties with the World Boxing Council (WBC) was a major force in upgrading the sport from top to bottom. And even on their last day, they brought all the professional basketball leagues together for one final meeting at their office in Makati. Mitra and company finished their term the way they started: strong.