With the pandemic, the Duman Festival of Sta. Rita, Pampanga continues online

Since early 2000s, The Duman Festival has taken place every first Saturday of December in Sta. Rita Pampanga. It is considered among the most important holiday events of Kapampangans in December and they try not to miss it.

An annual festival that intends to both celebrate culinary tradition and preserve the vanishing tradition of farming, the Duman Festival is named after a special grain, made of what the Kapampangans call "lakatan malutu," that can only be cropped and harvested in Sta. Rita, Pampanga.

The Duman festival is a night celebration where the highlight is a sarswela, narrating memories of early 20th century Kapampangan lifestyle in a barrio set up, where farming is always integrated. The sarswela is always performed by popular local group called ArtiStaRita, which was formed by Andy Alviz, a former resident choreographer of Miss Saigon.

Since 2015, the Duman festival has taken place in the amiptheater of Sta. Rita Ecopark, where a big statue of Saint Rita was erected to pay tribute to the patroness.

Formerly a mega dike bunker built in the aftermath of the Pinatubo explosion to protect the town from the ravages of mudflow, the people of the municipality believes that it was Saint Rita who protected the people.

Because of the pandemic, people thought that the show will not push through; Pampanga remains under MGCQ after all.

But several days ago, Alviz announced the show must go on, even if only through online. Even if the gathering will not be on the amphitheater of the Sta. Rita Ecopark, at least through social media, everybody can still enjoy the annual sarswela.

The Duman Festival will stream on Arti Sta. Rita Facebook page.