📄 Abstract
Bridging the educational needs of communities in the Province of Nueva Ecija, integrated schools were established to provide accessible and continuous education from Kindergarten to Senior High School. This initiative supported the national government's vision of “Education for All” by ensuring that quality education is available to every Filipino learner. Similarly, the Department of Education in Guimba District has pursued the establishment of integrated schools to expand educational access. However, the opening of these schools also brought various issues and concerns that require school heads to be more vigilant in developing policies and management practices appropriate for newly established integrated schools.Thus, this study focused on the lived experiences of five (5) school heads and two (2) teachers from newly established integrated schools in Guimba West and Guimba East Districts, Nueva Ecija during the academic year 2024–2025. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews to explore their experiences in managing and operating newly established integrated schools. Through Colaizzi’s Seven-Step Method of Qualitative Analysis, the study generated seven (7) major themes clustered into opportunities, rewards and accomplishments, challenges, and management strategies in the operation of newly established integrated schools. Findings revealed that one of the strongest opportunities identified by the participants was the ability to establish a conducive learning and working environment that promotes school growth and development. The most significant obstacles were classified as internal and external issues impacting school operations and resource management, while rewards and achievements were defined by intrinsic fulfillment, stakeholder support, and teacher involvement. The school heads used vision and goal orientation, faculty development, and stakeholder engagement as effective management tactics. The most important finding of all was the strong stakeholder collaboration, which emphasized how important it is for the school to operate effectively, strategically and sustainably.
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📚 How to Cite:
Judy R. Sarmiento, Jr. , POSSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES OF PUBLIC INTEGRATED SCHOOLS IN GUIMBA, NUEVA ECIJA: A BASIS FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING , Volume 12 , Issue 7, July 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 585 - 591 ,