Child protection is a fundamental responsibility of schools, requiring not only the implementation of established policies but also adequate legal literacy among education personnel. This study examined the implementation of the Department of Education’s Child Protection Policy (CPP) and the legal literacy of teachers and school administrators in selected public secondary schools in Quezon City. It also investigated the relationship between CPP implementation and legal literacy. The study employed a descriptive-correlational research design. Participants consisted of 128 purposively selected respondents from ten public high schools in Congressional District 5, Schools Division Office of Quezon City, including 97 teachers and 31 school administrators. Data were collected through a researcher-developed questionnaire adapted from the Child Protection Policy implementation checklist. Frequency distributions, percentages, weighted means, and Pearson correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings showed that both teachers (M = 4.42) and administrators (M = 4.30) perceived CPP implementation as highly implemented. Legal literacy was also rated highly literate, with composite means of 4.22 for teachers and 4.36 for administrators. Legal terminologies and relevant laws obtained the highest ratings, while related penalties and the application of legal principles received comparatively lower ratings. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships between CPP implementation and legal literacy among teachers (r = .713, p < .001), administrators (r = .508, p = .004), and the combined sample (r = .680, p < .001). The findings indicate that stronger perceived legal literacy is associated with stronger perceived implementation of the Child Protection Policy. While respondents demonstrated substantial awareness of child protection laws, variation in ratings suggests the need to strengthen the practical application of legal knowledge and case-handling procedures. Effective child protection depends not only on individual competence but also on organizational conditions that support policy implementation. The study highlights the interconnected nature of legal literacy and CPP implementation in promoting safe, rights-based, and responsive school environments.

Keywords: child protection policy, legal literacy, teachers, school administrators, policy implementation, public secondary schools.