Attractions
Santa Rita EcoPark
Town park that hosts Santa Rita's evening Duman Festival, with food stalls, al fresco dining and Kapampangan theatre.
Santa Rita
Town
Santa Rita
Sweet-tooth town famous for turrones de casoy, sansrival and the November dúman rice harvest.
Santa Rita is a mainly agricultural municipality of 10 barangays in the center of Pampanga, about 79 km from Manila, with about 48,000 residents at the 2020 census.
It is best known for sweets: turrones de casoy, a cashew candy, along with sansrival and uraro. Its seasonal treat is dúman, a glutinous green rice harvested only in November and December, pounded and toasted by hand, and eaten with fresh carabao's milk or stirred into hot chocolate. The Dúman Festival has been held since 2002.
The Santa Rita de Casia Parish Church, built from 1839 and completed in 1868, holds a first-class relic of Saint Rita, opened for veneration every August 17.
Good to know about Santa Rita
What is dúman?
A glutinous green rice from Santa Rita, harvested only in November and December, pounded and toasted by hand. It is eaten with carabao's milk or in hot chocolate.
What is Santa Rita known for?
Sweets, especially turrones de casoy (cashew candy) and sansrival, plus the seasonal dúman rice.
When is the Saint Rita relic shown?
The first-class relic of Saint Rita at the parish church is opened for public veneration every August 17.
Things to do in Santa Rita
Attractions
Dominican Convent (Convento de la Sagrada Familia)
Retreat convent on the Santa Rita-Porac Road in San Matias, with a Spanish-era stone arch nearby.
Santa Rita
Attractions
Pineda Ancestral House, Santa Rita
Ancestral house on Ocampo Street built in 1917 to 1918, said to hold saints carved by sculptor Maximo Vicente.
Santa Rita
© JJ Carpio on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAAttractions
Villa Epifania (Guanzon Ancestral House)
The 'Grand Old House of Santa Rita', an all-concrete 1931 to 1932 mansion seen in Lino Brocka's Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang.
Santa Rita
© Ralff Nestor Nacor on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAAttractions
Santa Rita de Casia Parish Church
Single-nave church of Saint Rita of Cascia, built 1839 to 1868, which keeps a first-class relic of the saint shown every August 17.
Santa Rita
Upcoming events in Santa Rita
Mar
Date TBA
Holy Wednesday evening, March 24, 2027
Pasyon Serenata, Santa Rita 2027
Holy Wednesday showdown in Santa Rita where brass bands and choirs chant the Pasyon to the tunes of classical opera.
Santa Rita
Tue
17
Aug
Tue, Aug 17
Veneration of the relic of Santa Rita 2027
Every August 17 the parish opens the reliquary of Saint Rita of Cascia for public veneration.
Santa Rita
Itineraries & guides in Santa Rita
Getting Around
How to get to Santa Rita, Pampanga
Santa Rita is a landlocked town in central Pampanga, 79 km from Manila, on the jeepney route between Guagua and Porac.
Santa Rita
Itineraries
Santa Rita ancestral house walk
A short walk along Ocampo Street past Santa Rita's grand old houses, from the 1868 church to Villa Epifania.
Santa Rita
Travel Guides
Santa Rita pasalubong guide: duman, turrones and sans rival
What to buy in Pampanga's pastry town, when dúman is in season, and how to carry cakes and cookies home.
Santa Rita
Latest stories in Santa Rita
© Ralff Nestor Nacor on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SACulture
Saint Rita's relic in Santa Rita
Since 2008 the town named for Saint Rita of Cascia has kept a first-class relic of her, shown to the faithful every August 17.
Santa Rita
Community
Santa Rita, the pastry town
Turrones de casoy, sans rival, uraro and masa podrido: how a small Pampanga town built its name on sweets.
Santa Rita
Culture
Duman: the green rice of Santa Rita
Harvested young for a few weeks each year, dúman is Santa Rita's Christmas treasure. Why it is rare, and how it is made.
Santa Rita
© Ralff Nestor Nacor on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAHistory
Villa Epifania, the grand old house of Santa Rita
An all-concrete 1930s mansion that sheltered officers, guerrillas and, later, a Lino Brocka film crew.
Santa Rita