The Axiological Relevance of the Tumba-tumba Festival in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Philippines

Abstract

This study explored the Tumba-tumba festival celebration of Paoay, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines. During the celebration, different huts are put up with altars inside them that have a lot of food offerings. The study explored the value and meaning of the folk practices. The studied used the ethnographic observation, documentation, and interviews of the participants of the 10 districts during the celebration. The tradition was the blended values of Ilocano and religious faith. The participants were devoted in the preservation of the culture but few knew the meaning of the food offerings. In the practice of the tradition, the participants were not aware that they were performing different fields of the arts. The local government organizes other activities to promote the festival but these usually result in divided interests of visitors towards the real value of the tradition. The local government therefore, as the key factor in the preservation of the cultural values of the tradition, is recommended to develop and increase the awareness of the program during the festival to promote its real meaning for the younger generation to emulate.