COVID-19: four key legal issues for Philippine sports organisations to consider on return to play

After more than two months of slumber, Philippine sports is slowly making a comeback. Of course, this comeback won’t be as quick and easy as sending a fax that says, “I’m back.” There are a lot of challenges that Philippine sports has to hurdle to get back on its feet. We have a long way to go before we can sit in a packed stadium cheering our idols again, but we’re on our way.

Assuming government directives will soon allow sports and mass gatherings to recommence, this article identifies four key legal issues that must be addressed by the domestic sports industry as it heads back to the field, court, or gym, namely

• The duty of care owed by event organizers/facility owners to fans and sports participants;
• The duties on schools/universities to provide safety protocols and resolve residency and eligibility issues;
• The duties on sports employers to comply with existing labor laws and guidelines regarding their staff; and
• The resolution of contractual disputes – especially commercial contracts – ideally via negotiation and redrafting.