“Nung alayu ing amyam, eya lunto ing duman (without the monsoon wind, the duman rice would not bloom),” Tang Victor explained as we went along a pilapil (walkway) to check on the duman farm he has been running for 30 years. We had just returned from his house in Santa Monica, where the glutinous rice is winnowed after harvest. Tang Victor has spent his entire life as a duman maker, a skill he inherited from his parents. “Panaun pa ning Kastila, dadara nong lakatan ding peka nunu ku (Even throughout the Spanish colonial period, my ancestors pounded the duman rice as an annual tradition),” he explained, “and I believe upholding their legacy is more of a way to show respect to them.”
When we got at the site, I noticed the dark purple-colored duman grains that were still in the “magmuri” stage, as Tang Victor describes it. I was told that it would take more than a week to collect them. Although much of the harvest has already been used to make duman cakes in preparation for the Duman Festival, there is still enough of it that is expected to sprout when the monsoon wind blows in this month of December. The duman rice, unlike any other rise, only appears during this season because the damp of the chilly breeze aids in the growth process of the grains.
We just spent a few hours in the field because we had to rush back to his house to prepare the bilao of duman cakes that would be sold that night. The Duman Festival, which has been held for over a decade, is a highlight of the quaint town of Santa Rita, which attracts hundreds of people from all over the world. This year’s celebration was hosted at Megadike’s Environmental Park, which was created by the town’s hardworking Lady Mayor Yolly Miranda Pineda.
As I arrived at the Eco Park about 3 p.m., practically both sides of the road along the dike were clogged with cars parked bumper to bumper. A kite flying competition was held as a key feature of the festival, with kite flying enthusiasts competing for a whopping top prize of 15,000 pesos. I was there to capture the entire event and ended up being one of the judges who decided the overall winner. The brilliant colors and designs of the participants’ kites transformed the entire megadike’s sky into a kaleidoscope, while the mild wind made these toys controllable in the air.
That night, the Festival was packed with people who had purchased and eaten their meals from makeshift vendors lined up with tables and chairs. As a finale to the occasion, Gintu ing Kule Ning Daya, the ArtiSanta Rita performed their theater act.
Tang Victor approached me from the crowd as I was packing my camera equipment. “Tara mangan ka pang duman,” he volunteered enthusiastically. I consented and proceeded to his own stand, where I had this wonderful talk with the man who had been carrying on the tradition till now. (end)
