After years of serving clients in various parts of the globe, Philippine-based sportswear maker Team Rebel Sports is now ready to bring its act once more to the Philippine market, all set to provide quality apparel to sports-loving Filipinos.
“We’re coming back sa local market. Nawala kami for so many years,” said Joel Cu, owner of Team Rebel Sports. “We’ve been in the local market since 1998. Na-down kami, so we studied how to export. [Kaya] Nandiyan yung US.
“Naisip ko, bakit ‘di natin ibalik sa Pilipinas?”
The local market has seen the rise of various custom apparel makers in the past years, and the competition among them has become tight. The brand is fully aware of this, and they know that they are entering the scene as underdogs.
But despite that, Cu is confident that Rebel Sports can go head-to-head with more established competitors, that the San Juan-based brand’s quality service and innovation is what will keep them at-par with the competition.
“Ang importante kasi sa uniporme, number one is service. Yun ang meron kami. Speed. Kasi minsan, ora-orada. Sa local market very demanding talaga — ten days, seven days, gusto may uniporme na. It’s we are capable of.
“And sa tela, kung fabrics ang paguusapan, meron kaming innovation. Ang fabrics namin, kakaiba siya. Minsan kasi sa itsura, parehas eh. Pero hawakan mo, suotin mo, feel mo. Iba,” the youthful entrepreneur furthered. “We tend to develop fabrics.”
Filipino sportswear companies have proven that they can provide uniforms in sports that Filipinos adore — basketball, volleyball, and football — and have even inked deals with various squads in the collegiate, amateur, and pro ranks.
For Rebel Sports, that is the nature of their business as well. But what separates them from the competition is their mission to provide quality products for aspiring athletes, even if the company incurs a loss.
“Don’t think of Rebel as mahal. ‘Di kami mahal,” said Cu, who is an avid sports fan at heart. “Rebel is here not mainly because of profit, because we have the US market already. Our purpose right now is to give students, the kids a good uniform.
“We’re giving it to the Americans, why not give it to Filipinos?”
