Xonara explains meaning behind their group name

Xonara officially made its debut as a P-pop girl group before a jam-packed crowd at Escolta Street in Manila on Saturday.

In a press conference held at the historic First United Building, the members explained the meaning of their group name.

According to Megumi, Xonara comes from three words: sonar, Sora, and Narra.

"'Sonar' po we tackle po 'yung voices po namin, 'yung story namin, 'yung sound po namin," she said.

"Sonar" comes from Sound Navigation and Ranging, a technique that uses sound waves to detect objects underwater.

"Sora," meanwhile, refers to Tandang Sora or Melchora Aquino, the Filipina hero who offered her home as a sanctuary for the Katipunan during the Philippine Revolution in 1896.

"For [Tandang] Sora po we really look up to her as a revolutionary figure, how she embodies po perfectly 'yung bravery, courage, and compassion. That's what we stand for po as Xonara," Megumi said.

Finally, Narra is the Philippine national tree.

"It represents our resilience and our grit po as Xonara," Megumi said.

As for spelling Xonara with an X, it is meant to be inclusive symbol.

"It represents 'yung limitless possibilities po namin," Megumi said. "We're big on how we are as people, the human side of things and that represents anyone po—us, you, it includes everybody po."

Xonara is a seven-member girl group composed of Eurekah, Tin, Dominique, Ella, Namie, Lei, and Megumi. They are the first girl group of 1Z Entertainment, the company founded by SB19 members Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin.

The group released their debut song, "Tabi," on Friday and its music video on Saturday.

Xonara first performed at SB19's "Wakas at Simula: The Trilogy Finale" concert at the SMDC Festival Grounds in April. They also performed at the Aurora Music Festival earlier this May. —JCB, GMA News