MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines can soon hold boxing matches again, after the sport received approval to resume from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

This, according to Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Abraham Mitra, who stressed that stringent health and safety protocols must be followed by those hosting fight cards.

"Ang GAB po is limited to professional sports. Ang professional sports lang dito sa Pilipinas as you know is basketball, football, boxing, motocross," Mitra said on "The Chasedown" on Saturday.

"Ang naipasok lang po namin, practice ng basketball at football, and then 'yung boxing po, pumayag na na magkaroon ng boxing," he revealed.

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Boxing, like virtually all sports, had to be halted earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fight cards began to resume in June, with Top Rank holding a five-match card at the MGM Grand Conference Center Grand Ballroom in Las Vegas.

Events in the Philippines will be limited as well. Mitra said that only five bouts are allowed in every card, as opposed to the old practice of holding 10 or even 15 matches per day.

Moreover, the boxers and the referees will have to be tested for COVID-19 ahead of the fight day and confined in order to prevent contracting the disease.

"These boxers will be tested three days before the fight and they will be confined, and then weigh-in, and then fight. After the fight, they will also be tested," said Mitra, who explained that they will use swab testing as opposed to rapid testing.

"Even the referee will also be tested, because he will be in the middle eh," he added.

Referees have to wear long-sleeved shirts and change their uniforms after every bout. The judges are also banned from ringside.

"Medyo malayo na sila," said Mitra of the judges. "'Yung commentator will be outside of the venue, and only one or two camera people will be involved."

"As much as possible, we will not be allowing 'yung mga 21 and below and 60 and above, except if it's essential. For example, almost all promoters are above 60, so okay lang 'yan," he added.

No fans will be allowed to watch the matches in the venue. The same protocol will likely be observed for football and basketball games, said Mitra.

"Ganoon ang mangyayari ngayon, puro na lang livestreaming, puro na lang TV, and then minimum lang talaga ang mga tao sa loob, 'yung mga kailangan lang sa loob," he added.

In the United States, Top Rank put their boxers and their teams in a "bubble" in Las Vegas. The fighters were tested upon arrival at the MGM Grand and isolated until they received their results, according to a report from Forbes.

Their protocols also mandated that only two cornermen are allowed for each fighter, and that no fans can watch on site. Even the commentators had to call the matches in their own studios, as opposed to ringside.

GAB will further discuss the details of their boxing protocols on Tuesday, when their boxing division is expected to make its recommendations in a board meeting.

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website).