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WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 810, as amended, mandates the operation and development of Basque Pelota as a sport for the general public, a source of revenue for the government’s socio-economic projects and a game of amusement at par with international standards for tourism purposes; and provides inter alia, that the Games and Amusements Board “shall enforce the laws, rules and regulations governing Basque Pelota as provided in Commonwealth Act Numbered Four Hundred and Eighty Five, amended,”;

WHEREAS, the Special Study Committee on Jai-Alai (Presidential Memorandum dated 17 October 1981) composed of representatives from the Office of the President, Games and Amusements Board and Presidential Commission on Reorganization was created to recommend to the President such measures as may be necessary to further improve the operations of Jai-Alai and to maximize its contribution to the country’s sports development program”; and in addition, was specifically directed to look into the following areas, namely; (i) responsiveness of existing laws, rules and regulations, and the Games and Amusements Board’s supervisory authority over Basque Pelota (ii) formulation of standards for the opening of branches for booking purposes within any place in the Philippines and development programs of Basque Pelota including its integration into the country’s sports development programs,

WHEREAS, the aforesaid Special Committee has noted certain ambiguities in existing laws, rules and regulations on Basque Pelota which have abetted various charges of anomalies including game “fixing” and overlapping of functional responsibilities thereby putting the integrity of the game under a cloud of public suspicion; and has consequently, recommended measures to eliminate the said ambiguities in the legal foundation and institutional framework of Basque Pelota to ensure that the objectives of Presidential Decree No. 810, as amended, are met in the most effective, efficient and economical manner

WHEREAS, there is a need to allow the opening of Basque Pelota branches for booking purposes pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1121 subject to certain standards in order to provide an awareness of the availability of this low stake amusement game for the country’s adult population as alternative to or as a counter-measure against rampant illegal gambling activities which have deprived the government of substantial revenues for its socio-economic projects;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Jai-Alai and Amusement Corporation, the Grantee under Presidential Decree No. 810, has undertaken various improvements in building and facilities including the installation of totalizators with the recognition that pursuant to the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 809 “the land and all improvements including facilities thereon shall revert to the government of the Philippines without payment”,; and the Guarantee in addition has prepared a development program which would require sizeable additional investments to achieve the purposes of Presidential Decree No. 810, as amended; and

WHEREAS, there is a need for the government to provide additional support and incentives for the accelerated development of Basque Pelota pursuant to the aforementioned decree;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and the authority vested in me by the Presidential Decree No. 1416, do hereby order the adoption of the attached Revised Rules and Regulations for Basque Pelota Games, any provision of rules and regulations to the contrary notwithstanding.

DONE in the City of Manila this 28th day of August, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-two.


By the President:

(SGD.) JOAQUIN T. VENUS, JR.
Deputy Presidential Executive Assistant