This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of English teachers in addressing students’ literacy difficulties in public secondary schools. It specifically examined the challenges teachers encounter, the strategies they use to support struggling readers, and the policy implications for strengthening literacy instruction and intervention programs in schools. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were gathered through in-depth interviews with English teachers who directly handled learners with literacy difficulties. The collected responses were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify common experiences, practices, and insights related to literacy instruction and intervention. The findings revealed that teachers face various challenges, including students’ varying literacy levels, limited instructional resources, environmental constraints, heavy workloads, and emotional and professional pressures. Despite these difficulties, teachers remained committed by using differentiated instruction, targeted reading strategies, intervention programs, learner engagement techniques, and continuous assessment practices to support struggling readers. The study also found that persistent difficulties in decoding, comprehension, vocabulary, and reading engagement, as reflected in the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI), underscore the need for stronger, more sustainable literacy policies and intervention programs. Based on the findings, the study recommends that school leaders strengthen reading intervention frameworks, provide protected remediation time, support continuous teacher development, supply adequate instructional materials, and encourage stronger school–home–community collaboration to improve learners’ literacy outcomes.