Although the Norfolk Tandangs — aka Tides — lost recently to the Rochester Red Wings, the annual Filipino American Heritage Night on August 8 was a big win.
Fans walked the food concourse in their red and yellow Tandang jerseys, which featured some colors of the Philippine flag. Lines formed in front of Flippin’ Hangry, now a mainstay at the park, where they ordered chicken lumpia, pancit and loaded adobo fries. The aroma of street food kept a crowd at Tambayan’s Grill from Richmond as fans waited for bright red grilled hot dogs and pork intestine barbecue.
Since 2019, a small group of local Filipino Americans, known as the muni-muni club, has been instrumental in bringing cultural authenticity to the event. The group of seven coordinated everything, from pre-game singers performing the Filipino national anthem to a ceremony honoring Filipino American first responders, including Alvie Aquino Culanding, the first to serve as captain of the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office. The first pitch was tossed by local professional skateboarder, Bushka Vidal.
One local business, Have A Good Day, designed the Tandang logo of a determined rooster swinging a walis, a traditional Filipino whisk broom. The rooster —Tandang in Tagalog — represents the replacement of cock fighting in the Philippines in the late 1800s with baseball.
Joe Gregory, the Tides’ general manager, said that minor league baseball teams often host Hispanic heritage nights. But Hampton Roads has one of largest concentrations of Filipino Americans — more than 28,000 — on the East Coast.
“We thought it was a good idea to also celebrate the local Filipino American culture.”
In 2019, Gregory and his staff reached out to the local chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) for planning. The muni-muni club developed and became a nonprofit in 2024.
Muni-muni in Tagalog means “pondering” or “deep thought,” said Marie Wood, the group’s vice president and information director. The club also works to attract more young people to its events and promote small Filipino businesses, as well as the community’s contributions to the arts.
The club has hosted events such as a Filipino Christmas Market at the Oceanfront and muni-muni Markets at Norfolk’s Selden Market, which featured Filipino-owned businesses, artists and entertainers.
Wood emphasized the importance of highlighting the successes of Filipino Americans.
“We really want people to think about our culture and we want the entire community to benefit.”