SANTA RITA, Pampanga -- Young and old alike from the six barangays of Virgen Delos Remedios Parish wore their costumes on Sunday in celebration of their homegrown Samendang festival, a merry dancing on the streets in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The event, which was conceptualized 12 years ago, features the six barangays of the parish in merry interpretation of the official hymn of the Crusade of Penance and Charity.
The event is seen as a way of thanksgiving for the harvest season and a popular way of honoring the parish's patron saint through dancing. Samendang was first held during the time of former parish priest Rev. Fr. Arnie Serrano in which participants wore indigenous costumes related to communal farm life.
Six barangays paraded the streets of the parish on Sunday and held each group's interpretative presentation at the Diladila Sports Center. Devotees and parishioners also joined in the street dancing.
The chief Barangay of Diladila where the main parish church is located is a chiefly communal barangay as well as its other barangay territories.
The parish was carved out of the mother parish of Santa Rita de Cascia and included the Santa Rita town barangays of San Basilio and Becuran. Also incorporated in the parish were barangays from Porac (Pias and Pulung Santol), and one barangay of Guagua (Ebus).
The parish hopes to popularize festival the same way as Sasmuan town's Kuraldal.
