The Socio-Economic, Educational, And Cultural Relevance of the Pamulinawen Festival of Laoag City, Philippines

Pamulinawen Festival, one of the long-established festivals of vibrance in the province of Ilocos Norte, is celebrated annually every February in Laoag City. The festival stages a month-long celebration of faith, honoring the city’s patron saint, William the Hermit, which has been a tradition of the Laoageňos influenced by Spain hundreds of years ago. This study explores the socio-economic, educational and cultural relevance of the said festival to the participants in the various sectors of the community. The researcher employed qualitative research design with interview as a method of gathering data. The data gathered were analyzed using thematic approach. The study involved eleven (11) respondents, targeting six (6) local entrepreneurs; three (3) educators; and one festival organizer, specifically the head of the tourism office of Laoag City. The findings revealed that the Pamulinawen festival plays a significant role in preserving the Laoageňos’ local culture, traditions, customs and values. It is also one way of boosting tourism as well as fostering community engagement and unity among the people. In addition, it also gives way for local entrepreneurs to help them earn income during the duration of the festival through its various socio-economic platforms. Moreover, the festival also gives opportunity for teachers to highlight their role as cultural advocates by encouraging and connecting the younger generations to their cultural roots, giving them the opportunity to participate and engage to the different activities during the said festivity. This makes the students work hand-in-hand with their teachers in preserving their community’s local color. The findings of this study unravel a deeper gateway of understanding of the Pamulinawen festival through the lens of economics, education and sociology.