A Fight Song for Alex
The week had started with canceled flights, more than once, and a night stranded in a random hotel with no idea when I'd actually make it to my destination. By the time I finally did, I realized how small those travel problems were compared with what my family was facing.
I won't get into specifics, it's not mine to tell, but I will tell you it was scary. That's where Alex Eala came in.
We started talking about her. Her run through tennis, her run through everything. Her work ethic, dedication, the way she carries herself through every point. As Filipinos, we were just proud watching her climb. More than that, we understood what it meant to keep fighting when the outcome was uncertain.
Alex Eala winning the 2026 D.C. Open (Source: Alex Eala's Instagram)
To me, laban has always meant more than its direct English translation, "fight." It's what Filipinos say when there's no easy answer: keep going, stand your ground, don't give up. It can be a battle cry, an encouragement, or a promise that you'll stay beside someone through whatever comes next.
So I caught #EalaMania and wrote a song. I called it LABAN (A Fight Song for Alex Eala). I wrote it for Alex, my family, and the wider Filipino community, all at once.
My family member is recovering now. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say Alex gave us something to hold on to during one of the scariest weeks of our lives. Somewhere in the middle of that week, the song became bigger than the reason I wrote it.
I first shared LABAN on my social media channels on August 10, 2026. Within six weeks, the song and the content around it had crossed over 2.5 million combined views. Filipino fans were already rallying behind the word ”laban” for Alex, on signs, on hats, in comment after comment. I didn't create that. It was already alive in our community. I just got to add a verse to it.
Filipino fans holding their "Alex LABAN!" signs, US Open 2026 (Photo by Gary Manalus)
And the energy caught on. My son Teo, six years old, made his own "LABAN, Alex!" poster before I'd even finished the recording. A friend started designing "Alex, LABAN" posters and cheer cards, A local studio brought them to life, and together we gave away more than 1,000 of them over three days at the US Open.
A family friend donated hand fans reading "LABAN, Alex!" and "NY Loves Alex!," and even made an Alex Eala doll, just to add more joy to something that had already stopped being just mine.
A handful of singers started adding their own voices to the song too, among them 11-year-old Star Search Juniors Music Champion Madison Lauren, who's signed to release an official studio recording of LABAN later this year.
Filipinos come out to support Alex Eala's Round 3 match, US Open 2026 (Photo by Gary Manalus)
A stranger I'd never met, a blogger posting recaps from the US Open, put up a Reel calling LABAN "the Eala anthem" and tagged me under it. That floored me. People who have no reason to know who I am have really taken to the song as a rallying cry for Alex and for underdogs everywhere.
A song I wrote from a hospital bedside made its way to Arthur Ashe Stadium and beyond, carried by a community that decided to make it theirs.
Filipino fans join Gary holding their LABAN signs on the subway platform in Flushing, NY (Photo by Gary Manalus)
This week, I'm headed to the Asian Games in Nagoya to support my niece Mylia Perez, who's playing on the Philippines National Softball Team, and to keep cheering for Alex. Part of me is still hoping there's a way, even a small one, to get this song in front of Alex herself.
Of course, I want her to hear it. But the community's already taught me something: LABAN doesn't belong only to me anymore. It belongs to everyone who's held up a sign, added a voice, or found a little strength in Alex's example.
Alex's fight gave my family something to hold on to when we needed it most. The song carries that forward now, from one person to another. If Alex hears it someday, I hope she hears our gratitude in every word of it.
Thank you, Alex. Laban!
Gary Manalus, Filipino American Brooklyn dad and songwriter, wrote and produced “LABAN (A Fight Song for Alex Eala).” The original recording features vocals generated using Suno AI. Visit garymanalusmusic.com for links to the music. With thanks to Jon Edward Manongdo, who started designing the "Alex, LABAN" artwork used in posters and cheer cards, and RL Samson at Design District Studios, who helped bring them to life. To Lorraine Marasigan, who donated the hand fans and made the Alex Eala doll. And to Camila Lorén Burns, Sophia and Zara Manongdo, Alysa Perez, and Madison Lauren, who lent their voices to the song. [Independent fan initiative. No affiliation with or endorsement by Alex Eala, her representatives, the USTA, or the US Open is implied.]
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