This study explored the everyday realities of female barangay captains in Leyte, Philippines. It focused on their personal identities and strategies they used to navigate the social and political spheres within their local communities. This study employed a qualitative-phenomenological method. 13 female chiefs served as informants and were purposively selected by the researchers. An interview guide was used as the primary data collection instrument. The analysis follows Braun and Clarke approach to generate themes to describe the informant’s experiences. The results were categorized into experiences, coping with challenges, and aspirations. Seven themes were identified for the experiences: Impactful Service, Personal Fulfillment, Collaborative Environment, Leadership Identity, Personal Hardship, External Adversity, and Leadership Demands. Conversely, three themes were identified as the coping strategies of the female village chiefs, namely Community-Centric Action, Personal Leadership Stance, and Strategic Governance. Moreover, three themes were generated to represent the aspirations: Holistic Community Progress, Enhanced Community Harmony, and Effective Governance. This deep dive into the lifeworld of female village chiefs in the communities in the 3rd congressional district of Leyte has unveiled a myriad of noteworthy leadership stories, struggles, and triumphs, which are evidence of strategic actions and support programs from both the local government and from the community members they led.

Keywords: gendered leadership, village chief, lifeworld of captains, phenomenological study, leadership role, Philippines