A Survey of Socio-Cultural Values Reflected in the Agrimat Magsingal Festival of Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Abstract

This study aims to determine how the Agrimat Magsingal Festival or Town Fiesta in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur, reflects social and cultural values. The 120 locals who watched the festival filled-out a researcher-validated questionnaire evaluating social and cultural value using a descriptive survey design. The Agrimat Magsingal festival preserves and transmits Ilocano customs, agricultural beliefs, traditional arts, and cultural knowledge to future generations while it also encourages local cooperation, a sense of belongingness, volunteerism, and civic engagement. The results show high perceived social value with an overall weighted mean of 4.28 (Strongly Agree), top social items included strengthened community cooperation and mutual help (WM = 4.49, Strongly Agree), increased sense of belonging (WM = 4.47, Strongly Agree), and intergenerational interaction and respect (WM = 4.33, Strongly Agree). Areas with slightly lower social agreement were promotion of social inclusion (WM = 4.14, Agree), leadership accountability during planning (WM = 4.17, Agree), and public order/safety (WM = 4.16, Agree). Cultural values also scored highly with an overall weighted mean of 4.39 (Strongly Agree); highest cultural items were preservation of Ilocano customs (WM = 4.59, Strongly Agree) and reinforcement of agricultural beliefs and values (WM = 4.50, Strongly Agree), while items with relatively lower cultural agreement included revival of rarely practiced traditions (WM = 4.29, Strongly Agree) and cultural narratives deepening sense of place (WM = 4.28, Strongly Agree), which show that locals perceive Festival as a powerful tool for social unity and cultural continuity. The study shows that there is potential for improvement as there are some factors obtained comparatively lower approval, including the revival of rarely practiced traditions, event safety, leadership transparency in planning, and participation of marginalized populations. The study suggests additional accessibility and inclusion measures, the creation of a public Festival Advisory Committee, the establishment of safety and crowd-management procedures, targeted programs to revive traditions, heritage showcases, and youth apprenticeship programs, as well as regular post-festival monitoring to guide ongoing improvement. Overall, the findings are intended to help community organizations, schools, local government, and cultural stakeholders on how to use the festival to improve community development and preserve cultural identity.