Residents’ empowerment, emotional solidarity and community support, and involvement in festivals in the CALABARZON region: Basis of a framework for sustainable community engagement

Recognizing the significant role of festivals in the region's tourism industry, this study assessed the influence of resident empowerment and emotional solidarity on community support and involvement in festivals in the CALABARZON Region.Based on the result of the study, the researcher proposed a framework for sustainable community involvement.The study employed a quantitative correlational research design.Data was gathered from 385 residents in towns where the identified festivals in the CALABARZON Region are being held.Participants in the study, aged 18 years and older and residents for at least five years completed an adapted-modified questionnaire comprising three sections from different studies.In conducting data analysis, descriptive statistics such as weighted mean and rank were employed, along with inferential statistics including Pearson's correlation coefficient (Pearson r) and regression.The study unlocked that residents are empowered and have a strong sense of emotional solidarity with festival visitors.There exists also community support and involvement for festival tourism with attitudinal support emerging as the strongest form of support.All the dimensions of resident empowerment and emotional solidarity were found to have highly significant relationship with community support and involvement.Psychological empowerment, political empowerment, a welcoming nature, and overall emotional solidarity emerged as key predictors of community support and involvement.Based on the study's outcomes, a framework for sustainable community involvement was proposed and recommendations were put forward, emphasizing the importance of harnessing resident empowerment and emotional solidarity.