By Thea Andrea C. Magueriano
There was a splash of color and Philippine cultural elements in the comeback teaser photo series of P-pop group Alamat.
Taneo, Mo, Jao, Tomas, R-Ji, Valfer, Gami, and Alas of the eight-member boy group discovered in Viva Entertainment’s national competition “PWEDE!” in partnership of Ninuno Media, showcase Filipino festivals and martial arts in their costumes.
Alamat distinguishes itself from other boy groups by highlighting Filipino heritage in their music and using local languages in their lyrics.
To nail the aesthetics down, Kandama Collective founder Victor Baguilat, Jr. designed the boys’ clothes.
Jao stands firm in “Eskrima”, a modern take on the uniform used in Filipino martial arts Eskrima, also known as Arnis. Alas wears a lighter version of “Kurab-A-Kulang”, an armor made of plates of carabao horn. Mo teases in “Luna Sharpshooter” blue uniform with leather straps.
Gami wears “Sri Lumay”, a piece with sharp shapes, while Valfer’s costume is called “Sagayan”, designed after the eponymous Philippine war dance performed by Maguindanao and Maranao.
R-Ji’s “Datu Bulon” costume is marked with soft shades of yellow, red, and blue with touches of gold.
Tomas wears “Palu-Palo Festival”, a festival in Basco, Batanes that showcases the lives of the Ivatans, as Taneo appears in “Ycordillera”, a black, yellow, and red bomber jacket and pants with native patterns and matching bahag (loincloth).
