Love Local Lyrics: An Analysis of Selected Municipal Hymns in the Province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Abstract

Literature has values that make it a helpful learning resource. Because of this, educators continue the quest for more literary materials that are culturally relevant to facilitate learning. Earlier research and studies on Iloko songs, poems, novels, and short stories show that the said materials, indeed, have values that can be incorporated into the pedagogical process. In addition to the existing knowledge of values of literature and culture, this study determined the moral, psychological, aesthetic, and historical values of the selected municipal hymns in the Province of Ilocos Sur. Furthermore, this research identified what Ilocano culture is revealed in the lyrics of the selected hymns. Through content analysis, the researcher was able to find the moral value, psychological, aesthetic values, and historical values in the selected municipal hymns. Subsequently, the results of the analysis were corroborated by focus group discussions, interviews, and literature research. In the study, the researcher found out that the selected municipal hymns were replete with moral, psychological values, aesthetic, and historical values. The said values identified depict how rich the Ilocano culture is in terms of symbols, values and beliefs, knowledge, history, and arts and crafts. The findings also characterize Ilocanos as people who have moral values, sound, and healthy psyches, creative skills, and knowledge of their history.