Filipino pop group SB19 have announced their intentions to donate part of the proceeds from their new merchandise collection to the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals in the Philippines.
In a recent interview with TV Patrol, the group – consisting of Stell, Josh, Pablo, Ken and Justin – were joined by designer Chynna Mamawal of Casa to discuss their new collaboration, a premium line of streetwear merch inspired by the boyband’s latest single ‘What?’.
“It’s not only we get to create fashionable clothes for the fans, but we get to help a lot of people. A percentage of [the proceeds] will be raised to produce PPEs to be donated to select hospitals,” Mamawal said in the interview.
“We also want to help other people. We’re happy that we’re able to help with this merch line,” member Justin added. Watch the interview below.
In a statement to NME, Mamawal said that SB19 will donate P150 per set sold to the purchase of PPE. The equipment will be donated to the Philippine General Hospital and other public hospitals in Metro Manila, as well as other areas in the country with high COVID-19 caseloads. The donations will be made between May and June, the designer said.
The limited-edition collection launched online late last week on April 24. It includes apparel sets for men and women and features pieces like mesh shirts, sporty dresses and athleisure jackets. Only 100 pieces were created for each piece and they will not be reproduced once they’re sold out.
Two days after the collection went live, Mamawal wrote on Instagram that the line was “selling out like crazy.” “Congratulations to those who were able to get and to those who will be able to get! We can’t wait to see you wear them and love the pieces as much as we do,” she said.
SB19 released ‘What?’ alongside its music video earlier in March. They have also dropped four episodes from their weekly web series What: The Making Film, which documents the production process of the track. It premiered on April 2 and will conclude with its final episode this Friday (April 30).
Last year, the group released their debut album ‘Get In The Zone’, which featured the hits ‘Alab (Burning)’ and ‘Hanggang Sa Huli’. In January, they won two trophies at the sixth Wish Music Awards for Best Pop Song and Best Group.