The story
Bigger than one song.
LABAN started as a song about watching Alex Eala fight her way onto the world stage — and feeling, like a lot of Filipinos did, that her wins never felt like just her wins. They felt like ours.
"Laban" means fight. It's a word with weight in Filipino history, and Eala herself has said, again and again, that what she's building belongs to the community that's cheering her on. This song is one small way of saying it back to her — and to everyone who's ever needed a reason to keep going.
It's not an official anthem. It's not affiliated with Alex Eala, her team, the WTA, or the US Open. It's a fan tribute — written, sung, and shared by people who felt something and wanted to put it into words.
Filipino Americans are one of the largest Asian American communities in the U.S. — and one of the least visible in the moments that get celebrated. This is one of those moments.
Eala has repeatedly credited her wins to the community behind her — this song takes her at her word.
"Laban" carries the memory of 1986 — of a country that fought, together, for something better.
