Press & Media
Background, quotes, and assets for journalists and outlets writing about the song, the tribute, and the community behind it.
"LABAN (A Fight Song for Alex Eala)"
Song
"LABAN (A Fight Song for Alex Eala)"
Artist
Gary Manalus (@GaryManalusMusic), Brooklyn-based Filipino-American songwriter
Released
August 21, 2026, via DistroKid
Reach
2M+ combined social views and counting across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Origin
Written bedside while Gary supported a close family member through a serious health scare; the same week, Alex Eala won the DC Open, and the match score is written into the song's lyrics. The family member is now recovering.
Production
Original lyrics and melodies by Gary Manalus, vocals generated via Suno (openly disclosed) — credit line: "Lyrics+melodies: me 🎤 @sunomusic"
What's next
Madison Lauren, an 11-year-old Filipina Star Search Juniors Music Champion, has been signed to record her own version of LABAN, out later this year. The LABAN Project will also continue fueling #EalaMania through the Singapore Open, with social content and on-the-ground poster and flyer activations being explored through local partnerships, and at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, where Gary will travel in person to promote LABAN and #EalaMania on the ground.
Cultural context
"Laban" has organically become a rallying cry for the broader Alex Eala fandom (seen in NYT fan-art coverage, AP wire photos of "Laban Alex" hats at the US Open). Gary's song carries that name as a separate but connected story — not a claim that the song caused the trend.
Non-affiliation
Independent fan initiative. No affiliation with or endorsement by Alex Eala or her representatives is implied.
The FilAm
How a song inspired by Eala and written from a hospital bedside became a viral hit
Read the full story →Pre-approved for direct use.
"I wrote this song bedside, during one of the hardest weeks of my life. Watching Alex fight gave me something to hold onto — and I wanted to put that feeling into music."
"The match score from her DC Open win is actually written into the lyrics. That moment meant something real to my family, and I wanted it to last."
"'Laban' has become the word Filipino fans use for Alex everywhere — at the Open, online, in the stands. My song carries that same spirit, but the word belongs to all of us, not just this song."
For Immediate Release
Independent songwriter Gary Manalus wrote "LABAN" during a week spent at a family member's hospital bedside. The tribute to Alex Eala crossed 1 million combined views today, three weeks after release.
NEW YORK, NY, September 4, 2026. Independent artist Gary Manalus spent a week at a close family member's hospital bedside during a serious health scare. Watching Filipino tennis star Alex Eala fight her way through match after match on TV gave the family something to hold onto, and gave Manalus a reason to write again after years away from songwriting. He wrote LABAN (A Fight Song for Alex Eala) during that week. His family member has since been released from the hospital and is on the road to recovery.
Released August 21, 2026, LABAN has grown into The LABAN Project, a Filipino-led fan wave fueling #EalaMania. The song and its surround sound (125+ pieces of content) crossed 1 million combined views today, three weeks after release, with growth building all the way to Eala's run at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"I spent a week at the hospital with someone I love, during one of the hardest stretches our family's been through," said Manalus. "Watching Alex fight through every match on TV gave us something to hold onto, and honestly gave me a reason to write again. My family member is recovering, and this song is what came out of that week. Somewhere along the way, I also started noticing that Laban had become the word Filipino fans use for Alex, on their own, in the stands, online, everywhere. I didn't make that happen. I just feel lucky my small part of it gets to exist alongside something so much bigger."
Separately from this song, the word "Laban" has organically become the rallying cry of Alex Eala's broader fan base. Fan artwork using the word has appeared in The New York Times, it was mentioned on the Filipinos in the Six platform, and Associated Press wire photos have captured fans wearing "Laban Alex" hats at the US Open. None of that is connected to this campaign specifically. It is independent evidence that the word itself has taken on a life of its own within Eala's fandom, and Manalus is glad his song gets to exist alongside that same energy.
Since release, The LABAN Project has grown to include:
In the interest of transparency, Manalus notes that the original recording of LABAN was produced using AI music tools, including an AI-generated lead vocal, built around his own original lyrics and composition. Bringing real, human Filipino voices into the project, through Add Your Voice to LABAN and the #SingWithMe Challenge, has been central to the campaign from the start. Singer Madison Lauren, an 11-year old 2026 Star Search Juniors Music Champion, was the first to add her voice to LABAN and is set to release a studio recording of LABAN later this year.
LABAN is available on all major streaming platforms: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/garymanalus/laban-a-fight-song-for-alex-eala
More on the campaign: garymanalusmusic.com
Gary Manalus is a Brooklyn-based songwriter with a 25-year marketing and business leadership background, including roles at American Express and Amazon Web Services. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley, and a certificate from MIT Professional Education's Generative AI for Digital Transformation program. LABAN marks his first public release after writing songs privately for nearly three decades.
LABAN is an independent fan tribute. This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Alex Eala, her management, the WTA, the US Open, or Nike. All references are made in support and celebration, fan to fan.
Gary Manalus
Email: garymanalus@gmail.com
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Video Highlights
Gary Manalus explains why he wrote LABAN — recorded post-workout, unscripted. The most-viewed single piece of content across the campaign, with over 367,000 combined views.
Watch on Instagram →A reposted edit of "For Alex Eala's Eyes Only." Over 249,000 combined views.
Watch on Facebook →Fans gathering at Arthur Ashe Stadium to cheer Eala during Stars of the Open, with LABAN playing over crowd footage. Over 168,000 combined views.
Watch on Instagram →A homage to Alex Eala, pairing clips of her with footage of Filipino fans, set to LABAN. Nearly 198,000 combined views, with TikTok driving the majority.
Watch on TikTok →11-year-old Star Search Juniors Music Champion Madison Lauren records her own vocal take on LABAN, the first outside singer to join the song. Over 45,000 combined views.
Watch on TikTok →What's next: Madison Lauren has been signed to record her own version of LABAN, out later this year.
A same-night reaction to Eala's US Open exit, sharing how proud the community is of her and how much she's loved. Over 69,000 combined views, led by Facebook.
Watch on Facebook →Photos & Brand Assets
Click any photo to enlarge. Full photo library: browse all photos on Google Drive →
Gary Manalus, founder of The LABAN Project
LABAN (A Fight Song for Alex Eala) — official cover art
ALEX LABAN! digital artwork
Original digital artwork by Edward Jon Manongdo (@illustr8do)
Printed cheer posters and postcards
Printed by RL at @designdistrictstudios
LABAN ALEX hand fans and Alex doll
Designed & crafted by Lorraine Marasigan (@createdbylorraine)
Gary Manalus with Filipino fans at the US Open
Gary's son Teo with the first hand-painted LABAN sign
LABAN fans at the US Open