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Designer Avel Bacudio goes into detail about designing the barong worn by Team Philippines in the SEA Games opening ceremony.
Led by Bryan Bagunas and Alex Eala, Team Philippines proudly showcased Pinoy pride last December 9 as the 33rd Southeast Asian Games formally opened in Bangkok, Thailand.
And as they marched through the Rajamangala National Stadium, the Philippine delegation once again wore the iconic Barong, our national attire that has served as a timeless representation of Filipino culture.
As with most international tournaments, local designers have turned the barong into their canvas, placing their own twists to celebrate the culture, and even Filipino sporting excellence. It’s no different for this year’s SEA Games, with Team Philippines sporting custom-made barongs called Laro ng Lahi by Avel Bacudio.
But how exactly did this year’s design come to life?
Culture in every thread
In an exclusive interview with The GAME, Avel shares that he first caught the attention of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) last March, when he held the Gintong Sinag fashion show at the Plaza de Mexico by Pasig River in Intramuros, Manila.
At the time, Avel had released his “Sports-Luxe” collection, featuring pieces such as elevated tracksuits made from woven fabrics that stood out to sports officials, including POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, and even First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
The initial plan, according to Avel, was to use this collection for the SEA Games, instead of creating an all-new outfit for the Philippine delegation. But after some back-and-forth discussions, it was agreed upon that Team Philippines would be rocking an entirely new outfit in Bangkok.
“So this time, nag-usap na kami ni Bambol, na okay, let’s innovate ito; next time, iba naman ang gagawin natin, na mag-rerepresent din siya ng ating Luzon, Visayas, at Mindanao. So may storya talaga siya, hindi lang ito gagamitin nila,” he shared.
Instrumental to the creation of Laro ng Lahi was the use of different fabrics, which has been Avel’s way of showcasing the Philippines’ diversity in terms of raw materials. On top of this, Avel also wanted to go beyond the usual material used for barongs, such as pineapple leaves, or piña.
As a result, the Laro ng Lahi barongs feature a unique textile made from a mixture of banana, pineapple, abaca, bamboo, and water lilies, according to Avel.
“I think ‘yung purpose for me is makilala ‘yung ating hinahabi, hindi lang sa Asia, kung hindi sa buong mundo na talagang we have our own fabric na ginagawa,” he said.
The all-white pants, meanwhile, are made from Trambia blanket, a hand-woven textile from the Ilocos Region — an intentional choice that symbolizes a show of love towards our national athletes.
“Itong kumot ‘yung Trambia na tinatawag from North, tapos all-white siya. Gusto kong hindi lagyan ng kulay kasi mas nakikita natin ‘yung pure na tela mismo, and para malinis din sila tignan sa parade,” Avel said of the Laro ng Lahi trousers.
“Ang story naman kasi noon, kasi kumot ‘yun, para mai-cover natin at [maipakita] sa athlete natin na mahal natin sila. Kaya kumot ‘yung ginawa nating pants, para [ipa-feel natin] na niyayakap natin sila.”
More than the usual barong and trouser combo, Laro ng Lahi features several embroideries that pay homage to classic Pinoy games such as Patintero, Luksong Baka, Tumbang Preso, to name a few.
Like the intentional use of indigenous materials, these embroideries also seek to champion Filipino culture, which also lines up perfectly with the SEA Games, said Avel.
“So kaya itong tinawag na Laro ng Lahi, because nung nasa probinsya pa ako and wala pang internet, I don’t know if you know the larong Patintero, Luksong Tinik, Luksong Baka, Yoyo, so ‘yun lang ang mga nilalaro namin, pero masaya kami!” he shared.
“So I think this time, because of the internet, gawin natin ‘yung internet na ma-educate ‘yung mga young generation na we have our own laro na pamana sa atin ng mga ninuno natin,” he continued. “Kasi parang when you say Luksong Tinik, what is that? Parang nakakalimutan na nila.
“So isa itong pahiwatig na ‘yung mga kabataan ngayon, na hindi na nila alam ang kultura at sining na iniwan ng ating mga ninuno, na hindi sila makikilala bilang Pilipino kung hindi nila dala-dala itong mga sagisag na naipundar ng ating mga ninuno.”
The rest, as they say, is history. Laro ng Lahi was shown in full during the Parade of Athletes last December 9, with star Filipino athletes such as those from Alas Pilipinas and boxer Eumir Marcial marching along with Bagunas and Eala at the Rajamangala National Stadium.
A sense of pride
For Avel, seeing these barongs come to life evoked a sense of pride, not as a fashion designer, but as a proud Filipino that was given a chance to work with his country’s top athletes.
“Para ka na rin nanalo ng ginto…ang sarap ng pakiramdam bilang isang designer na napaparade nila ‘yung storya, ‘yung kultura, ‘yung sining, ‘yung ating katutubo, ‘yung kulay, ‘yung ating adhikain para sa mga sports, nandoon talaga,” he said.
“So noong nandoon sila, buo nating na-presenta sa buong mundo, o sa Asya na talagang buo tayo,” Avel added. “Ang nasa isip ko lang, habang nanonood ako, ‘yung kamay ko nasa puso ko. Sabi ko na ang sarap pala maging Pilipino at ‘yan lang ‘yung naramdaman ko.”
With the SEA Games now in its homestretch, up next for Avel Bacudio will be the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy, where alpine skier Francis Ceccarelli will carry the Philippine flag.
Given the Philippines’ reputation as a tropical country, Avel says it’s a welcome challenge to create a piece that will turn heads for a sporting spectacle to be held on snow.
“So definitely kailangan mo pang aralin kasi kailangan talagang i-prisinta ‘yung ating kultura sa malamig,” said Avel, who is also expected to outfit Team Philippines in the 2026 Asian Games and eventually, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“Malay natin, di ba? Baka because of this, may magpagawa sa akin ng winter collection na magagamit. Kasi it’s about kung paano ipipresenta sa kanila, paano nila isusuot, at kung anong nararamdaman nila…ang magkukwento naman is ‘yung kung sino ang magsusuot.”
Banner images courtesy of the Philippine Olympic Committee.