INVESTIGATING THE USE OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING IN ENHANCING THE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE DIVISION OF LUCENA CITY

English plays a significant role in the Philippines, both as a medium of instruction, as mandated by Executive Order No. 210 and recognized in the 1987 Constitution (Article XIV, Section 7), and as a language used for broader communication to support academic, social, and economic progress. This study investigated the use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) to enhance the communicative competence of public secondary school students in the Division of Lucena City. The research examined English teacher's profiles, their perception of CLT effectiveness, and the challenges they encounter. Data was gathered through questionnaires from English teachers in 14 junior high schools. The findings indicated that teachers generally reported a high level of CLT use. Teachers generally had positive perception of CLT, but also acknowledged challenges, particularly concerning students' language proficiency. Some significant differences were found in CLT use when considering teachers' years of service. The study concludes that while CLT is widely implemented, addressing students language proficiency is important for optimizing its effectiveness. It is recommended that professional development programs explore the influence of teachers' gender and experience on CLT implementation, and that curriculum planners ensure teachers effectively integrate all four components of communicative competence into their lessons.