This study examines the lived experiences of school heads and teachers in implementing Learning Action Cell (LAC) sessions in public elementary schools of Socorro East District, Siargao Division, Philippines. LAC sessions, mandated by Department of Education Order No. 35 series 2016, serve as a school-based mechanism for collaborative professional development aimed at improving teaching practices and student outcomes. Despite their importance, there exists a significant research gap in understanding how schools navigate compliance with DepEd policies while effectively implementing LAC sessions amid scheduling conflicts and competing priorities. The study employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach following Edmund Husserl's philosophical framework to capture the essence of participants' lived experiences. Data was gathered through structured interviews and focus group discussions with purposively selected participants comprising six school heads and eighteen teachers from six public elementary schools. Thematic analysis utilizing phenomenological reduction, eidetic reduction, thematization, and hermeneutic circle analysis was used to interpret the data and identify essential themes. Findings revealed that school heads experienced LAC sessions as a collaborative professional development mechanism requiring complex balancing of administrative duties with instructional leadership. Major challenges included time constraints, insufficient resources, and varying levels of teacher engagement. Facilitating factors included supportive leadership, established communication channels, and teachers' intrinsic motivation. Participants developed adaptive mechanisms such as comprehensive scheduling, resource-sharing networks, peer mentoring systems, and strategic prioritization frameworks to overcome implementation challenges. The study concludes that successful LAC implementation requires systematic attention to removing barriers and enhancing facilitators through institutional commitments to protected time and adequate resources. An intervention model is recommended, comprising structured LAC planning with clear objectives, capacity-building initiatives for school heads, resource enhancement strategies including dedicated budgets, and policy alignment measures integrating LAC participation into performance evaluation systems. These findings contribute to educational leadership practice by providing actionable insights for optimizing school-based professional development within the constraints of the Philippine educational system.