MANILA, Philippines – In Filipino culture, being “mayabang” has never been a compliment. If anything, it’s a red flag — a warning that someone is arrogant, boastful, and too full of themselves.

The truth is, the shadow of colonization never really left us. It still lingers in fractured identities, in the vulnerable conditions Filipinos live in, especially in the very language we speak.

So what if being “mayabang” could mean something else? What if it was never arrogance, but confidence twisted by a colonial mindset? What if reclaiming “mayabang” is, in fact, reclaiming pride?

Mayabang? May laban!

For too long, we’ve been taught to measure value and status by what is imported. Products that are local and Filipino-made often get sidelined in favor of the bag or the shirt stamped with a foreign label.

This is where Yabang Pinoy raises the flag, leading a consumer revolution that refuses to erase a dynamic culture of language, creativity, and craft. Founded in 2005 by a group of young advocates, the movement has spent two decades proving that Filipino identity can be empowered in the everyday, especially in every peso you spend. 

“Our greatest accomplishment is the leaders, advocates, and volunteers we have met and worked with along the way,” said Yabang Pinoy head of projects and partnerships JM Jose. “They continue to embody and champion the ‘Filipino First’ mindset, which is the very heart of our movement.”

Over the past two decades, Yabang Pinoy has turned that call into programs that nurture the Filipino’s sense of pride and value of community.

From their Global Pinoy Bazaar, which transformed from a small community fair into a wider, more diverse showcase of Filipino brands, to initiatives like Philippine Cinema Sessions and Y.A.B.A.N.G. Camp, Yabang Pinoy has built platforms where national identity isn’t just talked about, but seen, heard, and truly lived out.

“Whether how bad our politics is, whether how bad the traffic is, whether how bad the weather is, marami pa ring puwede ipagmalaki tayo, ‘di ba?” added Jose.

(No matter how bad our politics, our traffic, or even our weather gets, there will always be things we can be proud of, right?)

Lines that last

If Gouache tells stories through bags, the iconic Linya-Linya does it through words you can wear. What began as Ali Sangalang’s scribbled jokes made its way to Tumblr, where his punchlines and catchphrases deeply reflect everyday Filipino life.

Sangalang never planned to turn those lines into products. But Yabang Pinoy saw the potential and gave him space at the Global Pinoy Bazaar — spreading messages from daily humor, hugot lines, to even bigger realities. 

“Nag-re-resonate sa mga nakakita, nakakabasa ‘yong lines namin. Dun ko na-realize na ‘di nila binibili yung tela, binibili nila yung linyang nakasulat,” said Sangalang.

(The lines we wrote resonated with those who saw and read them. That’s when I realized that they weren’t buying the fabric, they were buying the words printed on it.)

Linya-Linya flips the idea that pride needs a foreign language or a grand gesture — it can be written in Filipino and lived out in something as simple as the shirt you wear today.

From its collaboration with the late novelist Lualhati Bautista in 2020 to its West Philippine Sea collection in 2025, Linya-Linya proves that humor is more than comic relief — it’s important commentary in navigating through danger and fear, especially as Filipinos.

“Ganon tayong mga Pilipino eh,” added Sangalang. “Parang pinagtatawanan natin minsan kung ano ‘yong mga pinagdadaanan natin… ‘yong admission na ‘yon, ‘yong acknowledgement ‘yong nagpapakatotoo sa atin.”

(We Filipinos are like that. Sometimes we laugh about what we’re going through. . . that admission, that acknowledgment — that’s what makes us real.)

That spirit continues in the brand’s collaborations, including this year’s Live Proud shorts with Yabang Pinoy — a vibrant collection that celebrates Filipino pride and identity.

Yabang Pinoy and Linya-Linya’s collaboration. Photo courtesy of Yabang Pinoy

Packed with pride

For Ann Poco and her husband, Louie, what started as a search for his camera bag became the journey to design one themselves. Soon enough, the couple was already working with Marikina’s artisans — stitching Gouache into life.

The name itself comes from the painting technique, where pigments are layered to create an opaque finish that is unique in every waxed canvas. This idea of individuality runs through the core of Filipino identity — each bag carries a story about the people who made it.

The couple began building a community of bag makers in Marikina, eventually opening a workshop and showroom where artisans could meet with customers. This exchange, Ann says, was just as important as the products themselves, as it allows makers to see the pride their craft inspires.

Gouache’s story also reveals the challenges of working locally. While the brand has proven that Filipino craftsmanship can rival global standards, sourcing raw materials is another battle. This has meant navigating gaps in production while still designing Philippine-made products that are both functional and beautiful. 

True consumer revolution, then, doesn’t stop at buying local — it also demands investment in local manufacturing so that pride in craft can extend from the design table to the raw materials.

Despite this struggle, Gouache is empowered just by the community it’s crafting for. Even if there are some expectations that Filipino goods are of low quality, Ann noted that this perception is significantly shifting today, thanks to Gen Zs. 

“Today, especially the youth… they understand now that local does not mean cheap, right? And they like the sense of identity that these articles of clothing, these accessories bring into their lives — it’s the stories,” Ann said.

To mark Yabang Pinoy’s 20th anniversary, Gouache has partnered with the movement on a special line of bags, with proceeds funding the planting of 100,000 Bitaog hardwood trees along the Bacnotan Riverway in La Union — trees long valued for shielding coastal communities from flooding and erosion.

The Yabang Pinoy artisans. Photo courtesy of Nyou Consultancy

For the last quarter of 2025, Yabang Pinoy announced several events in support of local brands and communities.

The 27th Global Pinoy Bazaar will run from October 2 to 5 at Glorietta in Makati. The 6th PH Cinema Session is set for October 5 and 12 at Linya-Linya HQ in Libis, Quezon City. The Global Pinoy Alabang Fair follows on October 17 to 19 at Alabang Town Center.

In November, the 28th Global Pinoy Bazaar will be held on November 20 to 23 at Glorietta 2 in Makati, while the 29th Global Pinoy Bazaar takes place on November 27 to 30 at Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong.

Through its talented community of creatives and craftsmen, Yabang Pinoy has helped show that to be “mayabang” is to be brave enough to say: this is who we are, and we are proud to live it.

This pride doesn’t need to be big or loud. It can be seen from the bag you sling comfortably over your shoulder, in the shirt you wear proudly on your chest, and in every decision you choose to spend your hard-earned peso on.

Now, “mayabang” no longer means arrogance — it’s the courage to wear, carry, and live Filipino proudly. – Jaella Magno/Rappler.com

Jaella Magno is a Rappler volunteer and 3rd year AB Literature major in Creative Writing student from De La Salle University.