INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE CHIILD PROTECTION POLICY AMONG PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN MAINLAND PALAWAN

This study was conducted in 11 municipalities with 43 public high schools and 258 respondents who were members of the child protection committee including school heads, guidance counselors, faculty representatives, parent representatives, student representatives and community representatives. This study assessed the implementation level of the child protection policy among public high schools in mainland Palawan and significant differences among the respondents' perception as to the child protection policy implementation level. Quantitative design; quantitative-descriptive-evaluative methods; likert scale, and adapted instrument from guia and guia (2019); random- quota-purposive sampling procedures were used in this study. The result showed that the child protection policy was implemented to a moderate extent (ime) among public high schools in mainland Palawan as perceived by the respondents. They also perceived differently on the implementation of the child protection policy concerning written school child protection policy, policies and procedures in handling any suspected or alleged cases of child abuse, policies and procedures in protecting children from harm, and a variety of ways to communicate the child protection policy. On the whole, the child protection policy among public high schools in mainland Palawan was implemented to a moderate extent (ime) with a grand mean of 3.02.