Beyond the Call: Lived Realities of Guidance Designates in Tanjay City Division

Guidance designates play a crucial role in the implementation of guidance and counseling programs in their respective schools. This study aimed to address the insights and lived experiences of the guidance designates of Tanjay City Division, through Phenomenology. Census sampling was employed by the researchers to provide comprehensive insights from the participants. These insights were analyzed through thematic analysis and revealed six major themes, namely, sense of purpose and fulfillment, lack of professional training, overloaded responsibilities, resources and facility gaps, weak administrative and community support, and proactive student intervention programs. These themes denote that despite their sense of fulfillment and initiated programs; they encountered numerous problems that hinder the successful implementation of guidance and counseling programs in their respective schools. These results underscore the necessity of injecting appropriate training, institutional reform, and stakeholder coordination. Without monitoring and redress by direct and particular action on the part of the Department of Education and school leaders, the emotional, academic, and behavioral support equipment of low-resource students will remain compromised.