FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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SE 
S. No. 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, in its Article II on Declaration of Principles and State Policies, 
states: 
Section 17. The State shall give priority to education, science and 
technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, 
accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and 
development. 
In recent years, boxing has become one of the most popular sports in our country 
as the best Filipino boxers competing in international matches caught wide media 
attention. In Asia, professional records of Filipino boxers have paralleled, if not 
surpassed, those of Thailand and Japan, while in the rest of the world, they have 
competed against Mexico and other Latin American countries known as breeding 
grounds of ring warriors. All these show that Filipino boxers indeed possess physical 
strength, skills, and talents, which if given the proper support of the State, will potentially 
place them in top ranks. 
Boxing has attracted many youths especially those who are from poor families. 
To them, boxing has become a means of livelihood to escape from poverty. And because 
of lack of proper guidance, there are some unscrupulous individuals acting as promoters 
and managers, take advantage of them, both physically and financially. 
This bill aims for that State protection they need and for the establishment of an 
agency that will steer their talents and skills towards proper direction, with the end in 
view of making our country stand among the rest in this arena of sports. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
7’ 
0:T 
-1 
?G 
( )  
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO STREGHTEN THE COUNTRY’S STANDING 
IN BOXING SPORTS, ENSURE THE WELFARE OF ITS BOXERS, 
AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Boxers’ Welfare Act 
of 2007, 
SECTION 2. Statement of Policy. - The State shall promote excellence in the 
sports of boxing by establishing a national integrated system for search and recruitment, 
and providing for the welfare of its Filipino boxers, coaches and trainers, competing for 
the country. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms 
shall be defined as follows: 
(A) Administration - means the Philippine Boxing Administration; 
(B) Boxer - means an individual who fights in a professional boxing match; 
(C) Boxer registry - means any entity certified by the Philippine Boxing 
Administration for the purposes of maintaining records and identification of boxers;’ 
(D) Licensee - means an individual who serves as a trainer, second, or cutman for 
a boxer; 
(E) Manager - means a person who receives compensation for sewice as an agent 
or representative of a boxer; 
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(F) Matchmaker - means a person that proposes, selects, and arranges the boxers 
to participate in a professional boxing match; 
(G) Professional boxing match - means a boxing contest held in the Philippines 
between individuals for financial compensation. Such term does not include a boxing 
contest that is regulated by an amateur sports organization; 
(H) Promoter-The term “promoter” means the person primarily responsible for 
organizing, promoting, and producing a professional boxing match. The term “promoter” 
does not include a hotel, casino, resort, or other commercial establishment hosting or 
sponsoring a professional boxing match unless- (i) the hotel, casino, resort, or other 
commercial establishment is primarily responsible for organizing, promoting, and 
producing the match; and (ii) there is no other person primarily responsible for 
organizing, promoting, and producing the match; 
(I) Sanctioning Organization- means an organization that sanctions professional 
boxing matches in the Philippines- (i) between boxers who are residents of different 
countries; or (ii) that are advertised, otherwise promoted, or broadcast (including closed 
circuit television) in a country other than Philippines. 
SECTION 4. Philippine Boxing Administration. - There is hereby created the 
Philippine Boxing Administration, under the Department of Labor, headed by a 
Chairman, who is assisted by a Vice-chairman, General Counsel, and other staff. 
SECTION 5. Administration Chairman. - The Chairman shall be appointed by 
the President and shall serve for a term of 4 years. He shall be an individual who - (a) has 
extensive experience in professional boxing activities or in a field directly related to 
professional sports; (b) is of outstanding character and recognized integrity; and (c) is 
selected on the basis of training, experience, and qualifications, and without regard to 
party affiliation. 
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SECTION 6. Administration Vice-Chairman, General Counsel, and Other Stuff - 
The Administration shall have an assistant chairman and a general counsel, who shall be 
appointed by the chairman. The assistant chair shall serve as chairman in the absence of 
the chairman, in the event of the inability of the chairman to cany out the functions of the 
chairman, or in the event of a vacancy in that office, and to carry out such duties as may 
be assigned by the chairman. The Administration shall have such additional staff as may 
be necessary to carry out the functions of the commission. 
SECTION 7. Administration Functions. - The Administration shall establish and 
enforce uniform'rules and practices related to boxing. It shall supervise all boxing events 
held within the country. The functions of the Games and Amusement Board as well as 
all other entities related to boxing are hereby transferred to the Administration. 
In the performance of its function, the Administration shall be guided by its 
mandate to protect the boxers from physical and financial exploitation. 
The 
Administration shall see to it that the following acts are prevented or curtailed or 
prohibited: 
(a) promoters deducting large percentages of a boxer's purse for their own use; 
(b) promoters coercing boxers into signing long-term, onerous contracts as a 
condition for competing; 
(c) promoters forcing boxers to hire an associate or relative of the promoter; and 
(d) illegitimate ratings systems wherein sanctioning organizations rank boxers and 
award 'championship titles' based on boxers' personal connections rather than widloss 
records. 
SECTION 8. Cooperation with sanctioning bodies. - The Administration shall 
work closely with international or regional sanctioning bodies over all professional 
boxing matches held within the country. 
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SECTION 9. Licensing requirements. - No person may compete in a professional 
boxing match or serve as a manager, promoter, or sanctioning organization for a 
professional boxing match except as provided in a license granted to that person by the 
Administration. The Administration shall (i) establish application procedures, forms, and 
fees; (ii) establish and publish appropriate standards for licenses granted under this 
section; and (iii) issue a license to any person who, as determined by the Administration, 
meets the standards established by the Administration under this title. A license issued 
under this section shall be for a renewable-- (i) 4-year term for a boxer; and (ii) 2-year 
term for any other person. The Administration may issue a license under this paragraph 
through local boxing authorities or in a manner determined by the Administration. 
SECTION 10. Licensing fees - The Administration may prescribe and charge 
reasonable fees for the licensing of persons under this title. The Administration may set, 
charge, and adjust varying fees on the basis of classifications of persons, functions, and 
events determined appropriate by the Administration. In setting and charging fees under 
paragraph (l), the Administration shall ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable- 
(A) club boxing is not adversely effected; (B) sanctioning organizations and promoters 
pay the largest portion of the fees; and (C) boxers pay as small a portion of the fees as is 
possible. (3) Fees established under this subsection may be collected through local 
boxing authorities or by any other means determined appropriate by the Administration 
SECTION 11. Requirements for registry. - The Administration, shall establish 
and maintain (or authorize a third party to establish and maintain) a unified national 
computerized registry for the collection, storage, and retrieval of information related to 
the performance of its duties. The information in the registry shall include the following: 
(1) Boxers - A list of professional boxers and data in the medical registry, which the 
Administration shall secure from disclosure in accordance with the confidentiality 
requirements. (2) Other personnel - Information (pertinent to the sport of professional 
boxing) on boxing promoters, boxing matchmakers, boxing managers, trainers, cut men, 
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referees, boxing judges, physicians, and any other personnel determined by the 
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Administration as performing a professional activity for professional boxing matches. 
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SECTION 12. Administration approval. - No person may arrange, promote, 
organize, produce, or fight in a professional boxing match within the Philippines, unless 
the match is approved by the Administration. 
SECTION 13. Safety Standards. - No person may arrange, promote, organize, 
produce, or fight in a professional boxing match without meeting each of the following 
requirements: 
(A) A physical examination of each boxer by a physician certifying whether or 
not the boxer is physically fit to safely compete, copies of which must be 
provided to the Administration; 
(B) An ambulance or medical personnel with appropriate resuscitation equipment 
continuously present on site; 
(C) A physician continuously present at ringside. 
(D) Health insurance for each boxer to provide medical coverage for any injuries 
sustained in the match. 
SECTION 14. Registration. - Each boxer shall register with the Administration. 
The Administration shall issue to each professional boxer who registers an identification 
card that contains each of the following: (A)A recent photograph of the boxer; 
(B)The social security number of the boxer (or, in the case of a foreign 
boxer, 
any 
similar 
citizen 
identification 
number 
or 
professional 
boxer 
number from the country of residence of the boxer); (C)A personal identification 
number assigned to the boxer by a boxing registry. Each professional boxer shall renew 
his or her identification card at least once every four (4) years. Each professional boxer 
shall present his or her identification card to the Administration not later than the time of 
the weigh-in for a professional boxing match. 
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It is the sense of the Congress that the Administration should, upon issuing an 
identification card to a boxer, make a health and safety disclosure to that boxer as the 
administration considers appropriate. The health and safety disclosure should include the 
health and safety risks associated with boxing, and, in particular, the risk and frequency 
of brain injury and the advisability that a boxer periodically undergo medical procedures 
designed to detect brain injury. 
SECTION 15. Review. - Procedures.- The Administration shall establish each of 
the following procedures: 
(A) Procedures to evaluate the professional records and physician’s 
certification of each boxer participating in a professional boxing match in the 
state, and to deny authorization for a boxer to fight where appropriate. 
(B) Procedures to ensure that, except as provided in subsection (b), no boxer is 
permitted to box while under suspension from any boxing commission due 
to- 
(1) a recent knockout or series of consecutive losses; 
(2) an injury, requirement for a medical procedure, or physician denial of 
certification: 
(3) failure of a drug test; 
(4) the use of false aliases, or falsifying, or attempting to falsify, official 
identification cards or documents: or 
(5) unsportsmanlike conduct or other inappropriate behavior inconsistent 
with generally accepted methods of competition in a professional boxing 
match. 
(C) Procedures to review a suspension where appealed by a boxer, licensee, 
manager matchmaker, promoter, or other boxing service provider, 
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including an opportunity for a boxer, licensee, manager, matchmaker, 
promoter, or other boxing service provider to present contradictory evidence. 
(D) Procedures to revoke a suspension where a boxer-- 
(1) was suspended under subparagraph (1) or (2) of paragraph (B) of this 
subsection, and has furnished further proof of a sufficiently improved 
medical or physical condition; 
(B) furnishes proof under subparagraph (3) or (4) of paragraph (B) that a 
suspension was not, or is no longer, merited by the facts. 
SECTION 16. Suspension in a foreign country.- The Administration may allow a 
boxer who is under suspension in any state to participate in a professional boxing match-- 
(1) for any reason other than those listed in subsection (a) if such commission 
notifies in writing and consults with the designated official of the suspending 
state’s boxing commission prior to the grant of approval for such individual to 
participate in that professional boxing match; or 
(2) if the boxer appeals to the Administration, and the Administration determines 
that the suspension of such boxer was without sufficient grounds, for an 
improper purpose, or not related to the health and safety of the boxer or the 
purposes of this Act. 
SECTION 17. Contract requirements. - The Administration shall develop 
guidelines for minimum contractual provisions that shall be included in each bout 
agreement, boxer-manager contract, and promotional agreement. The Administration 
shall ensure that these minimal contractual provisions are present in any such agreement 
or contract submitted to it. 


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SECTION 18. Protection from Coercive Contracts. - 
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(l)(A) A contract provision shall be considered to be in restraint of trade, contrary 
to public policy, and unenforceable against any boxer to the 
extent that it- 
(i) is a coercive provision described in subparagraph (B) and is for a period greater than 
12 months; or (ii) is a coercive provision described in subparagraph (B) and the other 
boxer under contract to the promoter came under that contract pursuant to a coercive 
provision described in subparagraph (€3). 
(B) A coercive provision described in this subparagraph is a contract 
provision that grants any rights between a boxer and a promoter, or between promoters 
with respect to a boxer, if the boxer is required to grant such rights, or a boxer’s promoter 
is required to grant such rights with respect to a boxer to another promoter, as a condition 
precedent to the boxer’s participation in a professional boxing match against another 
boxer who is under contract to the promoter. 
(2) This subsection shall only apply to contracts entered into after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(3) No subsequent contract provision extending any rights or compensation 
covered in paragraph (1) shall be enforceable against a boxer if the effective date of the 
contract containing such provision is earlier than 3 months before the expiration of the 
relevant time period set forth in paragraph (1). 
SECTION 19. Promotional rights under mandatory bout contracts. - No boxing 
service provider may require a boxer to grant any future promotional rights as a 
requirement of competing in a professional boxing match that is a mandatory bout under 
the rules of a sanctioning organization. 
SECTION 20. Protection from Coercive Contracts with Broadcasters.- Section 
18 of this section applies to any contract between a commercial broadcaster and a boxer, 
or granting any rights with respect to that boxer, involving a broadcast in or affecting 
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interstate commerce, regardless of the broadcast medium. For the purpose of this 
subsection, any reference in Section 18(1)(B) to “promoter” shall be considered a 
reference to “commercial broadcaster.” 
SECTION 21. Filing and Approval Requirements. - A manager or promoter 
shall submit a copy of each boxer-manager contract and each promotional agreement 
between that manager or promoter and a boxer to the Administration. 
The 
Administration may not approve a professional boxing match unless a copy of the bout 
agreement related to that match has been filed with it and approved by it. 
SECTION 22. Bond and other surety. - The Administration may not approve a 
professional boxing match unless the promoter of that match has posted a surety bond, 
cashier’s check, letter of credit, cash, or other security with the commission in an amount 
acceptable to the commission. 
SECTION 23. Online recruitment andpersonal sports profile. - The Board shall 
establish, develop, operate, and maintain an online recruitment system consisting of a 
website whereby any individual who has potential skill in boxing may build their 
personal sports profile including video, contact information, photo, stats, and bio, and 
upload them to the website easily accessible to the coaches and promoters. The system 
shall have a search engine that allows coaches and promoters to find boxers by matching 
qualifying requirements with data input by boxers during registration. The website shall 
contain a sport specific online registration form. A basic data only profile is given to 
athletes for free when they register but athletes must pay Two Thousand Pesos (P 
2,000.00) for annual membership if they wish to include video and receive the added 
services of e-mailing and editing their video. 
SECTION 24; Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Philippine Boxing 
Administration, in coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission, Games and 
Amusements Board, Department of Labor, and other concerned agencies shall 
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promulgate and issue the implementing Rules and Regulations within sixty (60) days 
upon approval of this Act. 
SECTION 25. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act, or the 
application thereof to any person or circumstances, is held invalid or unconstitutional, the 
remaining sections of this Act or the application of such provision or part hereof to other 
persons or circumstance shall remain in full force and effect. 
SECTION 26. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, issuances, rules and 
regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 27. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
approval and publication in the Official Gazette and/or in two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation, whichever comes earlier. 
Approved, 
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