This study was conducted against a background of Philippine schools having endured the longest and most stringent lockdowns in the Asia-Pacific region due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Distance learning and inherent problems such as low availability of internet connections and devices have exacerbated the difficulties faced by teachers to effectively deliver the curriculum and maintain a context of Catholic Ministry which will naturally be less effective without face-to-face interaction. As of 15 September 2020 for example, an estimated 27 million students in the Philippines had lost more than a year of in-person learning (UNICEF, 2021).
It is therefore gratifying to conclude from the data returned for this study that the seven sample schools in the provinces of the SVD PHN were generally perceived by the teacher respondents to be well-integrated and effective in their implementation of the SVD Leadership Programme.