The Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League have teamed up with a local designer to celebrate — and raise money for — the Filipino community in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.

On Monday, June 23, the Bandits unveiled a new alternate logo and uniform, which they’ll wear on Saturday, June 28, for their second annual Filipino Celebration Game against the Saskatchewan Rattlers at the Langley Events Centre. Part of the proceeds from the sale of jerseys and T-shirts with the logo will be donated to the the United Way BC Kapwa Strong Fund and Canadian Red Cross 2025 Vancouver Lapu Lapu Festival Appealboth of which support those affected by the tragic events at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver this past April.

The jersey and logo were created by Edmond Santelices, a fashion designer of Filipino heritage and founder of apparel manufacturing company ES Fashion Design Studio and fashion brand Varsant. The logo takes the fox from the Bandits’ primary logo and adds depictions of prominent animals in Filipino folklore — crocodile teeth, snake tongues and scorpions can all be found in the design — and a traditional sailing vessel called a won. The red bandana across the fox’s eyes is an homage to Lapua Filipino folk hero.

“The jersey and logo celebrates community and shows that Filipino people are strong. It creates a sense of belonging. When I grew up in the Philippines, people would just play around the basketball court; it is all about family gathering together, enjoying their time and playing a sport that we all love.

“When it came to designing the jersey and logo, I really wanted to go back to our roots. I wanted to know the original people of the Philippines and how we used to classify ourselves. Many of the details are inspired by the different types of indigenous Filipino tattoos.”

– Edmond Santelices, Designer

The jersey, meanwhile, uses red, yellow and blue, the national colours of the Philippines. The detailed pattern in the side panels is inspired by Indigenous Filipino tattoo motifs and conveys themes of love, family and unity. The country’s sun symbol is featured in a repeating tonal pattern all over the uniform.

“This jersey and logo is more than just a uniform — it is a celebration of culture, community and connection. The Filipino community has played a major role in shaping the energy and heartbeat of Bandits Basketball and this jersey is a tribute to their passion, pride and love for the game. We’re proud to wear the colours not only as a symbol of representation, but as a commitment to creating space and opportunity for Filipino youth, families and leaders to feel seen, celebrated and empowered.”

– Dylan Kullar, President, Vancouver Bandits

The jerseys will also have a tribute to the victims of the tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in the form of a black stripe across the left shoulder. Inside that stripe is the word KAPWA, “a term that describes the Filipino experience of community, interconnectedness and shared humanity.”

Along with the logo and jersey, Saturday’s game will shine a light on Filipino fashion, culture and cuisine through a pre-game buffet, a dance performance by PhilCAS of BC and a halftime show with Filipino-Canadian singer Mikey Jose. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. PT at the Langley Events Centre.