Abstract :

In the Philippines, the rising prevalence of youth mental health concerns has highlighted a critical gap: current training for Registered Guidance Counselors (RGCs) often fails to address the complex socio-cultural realities of high-caseload, under-resourced schools. While existing local literature documents mandated roles and systemic challenges, there is a dearth of research explicitly exploring how the unique Filipino context shapes actual counseling practice. Utilizing Giorgi’s descriptive-phenomenological approach, this study investigates the professional lived experiences of Filipino RGCs. The analysis yielded three core themes: the dynamic evolution of the RGC role, the profound influence of Filipino values (specifically malasakit) on practice, and a persistent professional gap. These findings culminate in the proposed Filipino Counselor Empowerment (FCE) Framework, a contextualized model for understanding and supporting the unique professional reality of RGCs in the Philippines.

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Keywords :

Filipino Guidance Counselors, Malasakit, Professional Reality, Phenomenology, Counselor Empowerment.

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