Parties out to protect the welfare of reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran have been going out of their way to enhance his chances of retaining the title.

With a proposed October date on the horizon, Taduran’s co-managers Cucuy and Marty Elorde are holding talks with local stakeholders while American dealmaker Sean Gibbons is doing the same thing overseas.

Even a true-blue Bicolano now living in California is lending hand in having Taduran make the mandatory defense on Philippine shores instead of traveling to Luzhou, China.

This guy has close ties with Bicol bigwigs and he has expressed the desire to bring his provincemate Pedro to the land of his birth and defend against mandatory challenger Zhu Dianxing.

Taduran, who has defended the IBF 105-pound belt three times, hails from the town of Libon in Albay and doing a fight there — with the majestic Mayon as backdrop — should make for a terrific tourism drive.

If they succeed in doing the fight there, it would mark the first time in 25 fights that Taduran would display his wares in Bicolandia.

Turning professional in May 2015, Taduran has fought locally in Luzon and Mindanao and several times overseas.

But never was he given the opportunity to do fight in Bicol since his former handler and promoter was based in Northern Luzon.

Again, nothing is final as of this writing.

The Elordes have yet to meet with Bicol personages and efforts are under way that the two camps finally get to discuss the matter.

In fact, Gibbons admits that time is of the essence.

“It’s crazy that we were just talking about how times flies and now it’s already mid-July,” Gibbons said.

The Elordes are also holding talks with prospective partners.

If Taduran’s backers fail to get a deal in place, he might end up risking his crown against Zhu on hostile ground.

And this is primarily the reason why everyone’s on their toes.

We can’t afford to send off Taduran and just hope and pray that he knocks the Chinese out.

Look at what happened to Melvin Jerusalem, who surrendered his World Boxing Council strawweight title to Siyakholwa Kuse last May in Johannesburg.

That’s risky business.