Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTHCONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No._____ 
________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
“AN ACT 
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE BOXING AND COMBAT SPORTS COMMISSION 
AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR” 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In an effort to promote sports competition to foster patriotism and 
nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote human liberation and 
development, the passage of the Bill for the creation of the Philippine Boxing and 
Combat Sports Commission is hereby proposed. The main objectives for the passage 
of this Bill are the promotion and development of professional boxing and combat 
sports in the Philippines, promotion and development of world-class professional 
boxers and combatants, and the protection of their welfare. If these objectives are 
achieved, the Filipino boxers and combatants will be able to maintain and even 
further develop their status as world-class athletes. 
Considering the growing number of Filipino boxers and combatants, it is 
about time that they are given adequate support in order for them to flourish in their 
respective fields while they give glory and honor to our country. 
This Bill is intended to establish the Philippine Boxing and Combat Sports 
Commission which shall be the sole agency that will establish and regulate policies 
related to professional boxing and combat sports. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this Bill is earnestly sought. 
EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
November 23, 2022
12:11 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTHCONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No._____ 
________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
“AN ACT 
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE BOXING AND COMBAT SPORTS COMMISSION 
AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR” 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Boxing 
and Combat Sports Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote 
sports competition to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, 
and promote human liberation and development. The State shall promote excellence 
in professional boxing and combat sports by establishing a commission that will 
formulate and implement a national policy. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act: 
(a) Boxer refers to an individual who fights another in a boxing match;
(b) Combat reports refer to any or a combination of any of the following:
a.
Boxing or fist fighting in any of its styles;
b. Kickboxing in any of its styles; and
c.
Any sport, martial art, or activity that involves, in accordance with
applicable regulations, striking, kicking, hitting, grappling, throwing
and/or punching opponents;
(c) Combatant refers to a person who engages in combat sports as a contestant
in a professional combat sports contest
(d) License refers to a document issued by the Philippine Boxing and Combat
Sports Commission authorizing a person or entity to perform duties connected
with professional boxing and combat sports;
(e) Manager refers to a person who receives compensation for service as an agent
or representative of a professional boxer or combatant;
(f) Permit refers to a document issued by the Philippine Boxing and Combat
Sports Commission authorizing a person or entity to hold, promote, or engage
in the conduct or operation of a professional boxing or combat sports match;
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(g) Professional boxer refers to a boxer who is issued a license or permit by the 
Philippine Boxing and Combat Sports Commission to fight in a boxing match 
for a sum of money or other compensation such as a salary or prize money; 
(h) Professional boxing match refers to a boxing match between professional 
boxers who shall receive money or other compensation for fighting in said 
match, but shall not refer to a boxing contest that is regulated by an amateur 
sports organization 
(i) Professional sports combatant refers to a person who is issued a license or 
permit by the Philippine Boxing and Combat Sports Commission to fight in a 
professional combat sports match for a sum of money or other compensation 
such as a salary, prize; and 
(j) Promoter refers to a person, group of persons, or an entity, licensed as such 
by the Philippine Boxing and Combat Sports Commission and primarily 
responsible for organizing, promoting and producing a professional boxing or 
combat sports match. The term “promoter” does not include a hotel, casino, 
resort, or other commercial establishment hosting or sponsoring a 
professional boxing or combat sports match unless: 
a. The hotel, casino, resort, or other commercial establishment is primarily 
responsible for organizing, promoting and producing the match; or 
b. There is no person or group of persons primarily responsible for organizing, 
promoting. and producing the match. 
 
SECTION 4. Creation of the Philippine Boxing and Combat Sports 
Commission. — To carry out the above-declared policy, the Philippine Boxing and 
Combat Sports Commission, hereinafter referred to as “The Commission”, is hereby 
created. The Commission shall be attached to the Office of the President and shall 
have the same status as a national regulatory agency. 
 
SECTION 5. Objectives. — The Commission shall have the following 
objectives: 
a. To strengthen professional boxing and combat sports in the Philippines 
and promote the development of world-class professional boxers and 
sports combatants; and 
b. To establish policies related to and regulate professional boxers and 
combats, and protect the welfare of professional boxers and combatants 
 
SECTION 6. Composition. - The Commission shall be composed of a 
Chairperson and four (4) members who shall be appointed by the President of the 
Philippines: Provided, that the Chairperson and two (2) of the members shall be 
chosen from the nominees of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), one (1) from 
the nominees of the Department of Health (DOH), and one (1) from the private sector. 
 
For succeeding appointments to the Commission, the nominations by the PSC 
and the DOH shall be submitted to the Office of the President thirty (30) days prior 
to the expiration of the term of office of the incumbents, or within thirty (30) days 
from the occurrence of any vacancy in the Commission. The nominees shall be of 
known integrity and shall have nationally recognized experience and comprehensive 
knowledge in professional boxing and combat sports. 
 
SECTION 7. Term of Office. - The term of office of the Chairperson and 
members of the Commission shall be six (6) years: Provided, that no vacancy shall 
be filled except for the unexpired portion of any term. The Chairperson and members 
of the Commission may be suspended or removed by the President of the Philippines. 
 


SECTION 8. Meeting and Quorum. — The Commission shall meet regularly 
once a month and as often as the exigencies of the service may demand, upon the 
call of the Chairperson or upon the request of at least three (3) members of the 
Commission. The presence of fifty percent (50%) of the entire membership of the 
Commission plus one member shall be required in order to constitute a quorum. The 
vote of a majority of the entire membership of the Commission shall be necessary to 
for the adoption of any rule, resolution or decision. 
 
SECTION 9. Allowance and Per Diems. - The members of the Commission 
shall receive a per diem for each meeting actually attended by them at the rates to 
be approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). 
 
SECTION 10. Powers and Duties of the Commission. — The Commission 
shall have the following powers and duties: 
 
a. Formulate, initiate, plan and implement a national policy for the 
development of professional boxing and combat sports; 
b. Formulate, review, and update the rules and procedures related to 
professional boxing and combat sports in conformity with international 
standards; 
c. Establish a system of registration and licensing of boxers, combatants, 
referees, trainers, seconds, cut man, and other personnel, and maintain 
an integrated registry of professional boxers, combatants, coaches, 
trainers, judges, referees, and promoters; 
d. Establish rules, set requirements, and collect fees for the grant or renewal 
of license to a professional boxer, combatant, coach or trainer, promoter 
or judge or referee, and a permit for a professional boxing or combat sports 
match; 
e. Suspend or revoke a license or permit; 
f. 
Establish a consultative mechanism which shall provide a forum for 
continuing dialogue between all stakeholders in the implementation of all 
laws, policies, programs, and projects relating to boxing and combat 
sports; 
g. Act as a quasi-judicial board when it shall deem necessary to initiate, hear, 
and decide any investigation for any violation of its rules and regulations 
and, in connection therewith, issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum; 
h. Determine and set a safety standard for and ensure that emergency 
medical personnel and services are available in every professional boxing 
match and combat sports in the Philippines; 
i. 
Seek or request the assistance and support of any government agency, 
office or instrumentality including GOCCs, LGUs as well as non-
governmental organizations or institutions in pursuit of its policies; 
j. 
Establish and maintain linkages with international boxing and combat 
sports organizations or institutions and counterpart agencies of foreign 
governments in order to facilitate and ensure the participation of Filipino 
professional boxers and combatants in international events; 
k. Allocate resources for the implementation of national policies related to 
boxers and combatants; 
l. 
Submit an annual report on the implementation of this Act to the President 
and to Congress; and 
m. Perform such other functions as may be deemed necessary to the effective 
and efficient carrying out of the provisions of this Act. 
 


The functions of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) as well as other 
entities related to boxing and combat sports are hereby transferred to the 
Commission. 
 
SECTION 11. Secretariat. - The Commission shall have a secretariat, which 
shall be headed by an Executive Director and such other technical and 
administrative as may be determined by the Commission. The Secretariat shall 
implement the policies and programs approved by the Commission and administer 
its day to day functions. The salaries, allowances, and other emoluments of the 
Secretariat shall be determined by the Commission in accordance with civil service 
rules, the salary standardization law, and other relevant and existing laws. 
 
SECTION 12. Physical and Medical Examination Requirements. — No 
person may arrange, promote, organize, produce, or fight in a professional boxing 
and combat sports match without a physical and diagnostic examination for each 
participating professional boxer or combatant conducted by a licensed physician 
accredited by the Commission who certifies that the boxer or combatant is physically 
fit to safely compete. 
 
SECTION 13. Mandatory Rest Period. - There shall be an interval between 
boxing contests and combat sports matches which shall be referred to as mandatory 
rest period. The duration of the mandatory rest period shall be determined by the 
Commission. 
 
SECTION 14. Emergency Medical Services. - A professional boxing and 
combat sports match may be held only if: 
 
a. A licensed practicing physician, whose services are paid by the promoter 
and duly registered with the Commission, is continuously present at the 
ringside of the professional boxing and combat sports match; 
b. Ambulance services and other medical personnel equipped with 
appropriate resuscitation equipment, including oxygen tanks, are 
continuously present within the immediate vicinity of the ring; and 
c. A tertiary hospital is near the vicinity of the event: Provided, that a 
memorandum of agreement shall be executed between the promoter of the 
professional boxing and combat sports match and the hospital to ensure 
that the injured boxers and combatants shall be attended to in their facility 
with dispatch. 
 
The absence of any of the aforementioned requirements shall be a cause for 
the cancellation of the permit to hold the professional boxing and combat sports 
match. 
 
SECTION 15. Social Pension and Health Care Benefits. - All professional 
boxers and combatants shall be enrolled in the Social Security System (SSS), 
National Health Insurance Program — Philippine Health Insurance Corporation 
(PhilHealth), and the Home Development Mutual Fund of PAG-IBIG, and shall be 
entitled to all the benefits in accordance with the pertinent provisions of law. The 
SSS shall develop and administer a separate social security program for boxers and 
combatants. This program may have different contribution, pension, and other 
benefit schemes. The premium payments or other contributions shall be shouldered 
by the promoter of the professional boxers and combatants. 
 


SECTION 16. Boxing and Other Combat Sports Officials. - All the boxing 
and combat sports officials involved in any match shall not receive funds or 
compensation in any form, directly or indirectly, from the promoter or its agents. 
Such funds or compensation shall be coursed through and collected by the 
Commission for appropriate disbursement. 
 
SECTION 17. Alternative Livelihood Programs for Retired and/or injured 
Professional Boxers and Combatants. — The Commission, in coordination with 
various stakeholders in the boxing and combat sports industry shall establish an 
alternative livelihood training program and referral system. 
 
SECTION 18. Appropriations. — The amount needed to fund the 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations 
Act. 
 
SECTION 19. Boxers and Combatants Welfare Development Trust Fund. 
— There shall be an independent and separate trust fund established under this Act 
to be administered by the Commission and exclusively used for the welfare benefits 
of professional boxers and combatants. The Commission shall be authorized to 
receive grants, donations, or endowments, whether from domestic or foreign sources, 
for purposes related to its functions, which shall accrue to the fund: Provided, that 
in cases of donations from foreign governments, acceptance thereof shall be subject 
to the approval of the President of the Philippines upon recommendation of the 
Secretary of Foreign Affairs. 
 
SECTION 20. Transitory Provision. — Pending the organization of the 
Commission, GAB shall continue to exercise its duties and functions in relation to 
professional boxing and combat sports. Such amount under the Boxer's Welfare 
Fund under the GAB shall thereafter be transferred to the Boxers and Combatants 
Welfare Development Trust Fund of the Commission and shall form part of the initial 
appropriations of the Commission. 
 
SECTION 21. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - The 
Commission, in consultation with the Department of Health, Department of 
Education, Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills 
Development Authority, Department of Finance, Bureau of Internal Revenue, 
Philippine Amusement and Naming Corporation, PhilHealth, Social Security System, 
and other concerned agencies shall promulgate and issue the implementing rules 
and regulations of this Act within sixty (60) days upon its approval: Provided, that 
failure to promulgate the IRR shall not prevent the implementation of this Act upon 
its effectivity. 
 
SECTION 22. Separability Clause. — If any part of provision of this Act shall 
be held unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions hereof which are not affected 
thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 23. Repealing Clause. - Section 7 of Executive Order No. 392, 
series of 1950, is hereby amended. Any other law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, rules or regulations, or parts thereof not consistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 24. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen 
(15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general 
circulation. 


 
Approved,