Quick answer

Start with the office that created or legally keeps the record:

For elementary, junior high, senior high, or ALS records, contact the school. For a currently enrolled learner, the school can initiate a correction through the Learner Information System using the learner’s LRN. Graduates seeking correction of a typographical personal-information error generally proceed through the Schools Division Office (SDO).
For college or university credentials, apply through the institution’s registrar. If the institution has closed, contact the CHED Regional Office with jurisdiction over the school.
For a TESDA National Certificate (NC) or Certificate of Competency (COC), apply at the TESDA office that issued it.

A school can correct its own clerical error, but it cannot simply rewrite civil-status facts or academic results without supporting authority. If the PSA birth certificate itself is wrong, correct that civil-registry record first—or obtain the appropriate court order—before asking the school to align its records.

Identify the exact document you need

“School records” can mean different things. Ask the receiving institution which document, format, remarks, and authentication it requires.

Education level	Common document	What it shows
Basic education	SF9, formerly Form 138	Report card for a particular school year
Basic education	SF10, formerly Form 137	Permanent academic record and historical school information
Basic education	Diploma or certificate of completion	Completion or graduation
ALS	A&E certificate or certificate of rating and related ALS records	Accreditation and equivalency result or completion
College or university	Transcript of Records (TOR)	Subjects, units, grades, and degree information
College or university	Diploma or certificate of graduation	Awarded degree or completion
College transfer	Transfer credential or honorable dismissal	Authority or clearance to transfer; this is not the TOR
TESDA	NC or COC	Competencies certified after assessment
Training institution	Training certificate or transcript	Training completed; this is separate from a TESDA-issued NC or COC

For foreign schools or employers asking for a “secondary-school transcript,” clarify whether they want SF10/Form 137, SF9/Form 138, or both.

How to obtain basic-education records

For transfer to another Philippine school

The receiving school—not the learner or parent—should request the permanent record from the originating school through the Learner Information System. Under DepEd Order No. 54, s. 2016:

The receiving school must secure the permanent records of incoming learners before the end of the first grading period.
For a learner transferring during the school year, the record should be secured within 30 days from the learner’s first day of attendance.
Learners, parents, and guardians should not hand-carry the original Form 137/SF10 to the receiving school.
If one month passes after the LIS request without receipt, the receiving school should send a follow-up through the system.
If the record remains unavailable after the applicable period, the receiving school should refer the matter to the School Governance and Operations Division.
If Form 137/SF10 is unavailable for reasons beyond the school’s control, the SDO’s School Form 5 or Report on Promotions may be used as the prescribed substitute.

Give the receiving registrar the learner’s complete name, LRN if known, last school attended, school year, grade level, and the originating school’s current contact information. Keep proof that you supplied these details, but let the schools transmit the permanent record.

For employment, scholarship, overseas study, or another non-transfer purpose

DepEd Order No. 54 allows the requesting party to lodge a request for Form 137 or a certificate of completion or non-completion at the SDO nearest the requester’s current address. The requester may provide the LRN or the name of the last school attended. The concerned SDOs then coordinate through the LIS, and the requester claims the document from the SDO where the request was lodged.

You may also begin with the last school attended if it remains open and has a published alumni-records service. Ask for:

The official request form or a written-request template;
Identity and authorization requirements;
The number and type of copies;
Whether the document must be sealed, certified, or sent directly to a recipient;
The fee, if any, for an extra copy or special certification; and
The release date stated in the school or SDO Citizen’s Charter.

DepEd Central Office does not ordinarily hold individual learners’ school records. The school and the relevant SDO are the proper first contacts.

How to correct a basic-education record

Currently enrolled learners

Submit the request to the school head or registrar. The school must compare the requested correction with the learner’s source documents and initiate the appropriate LIS correction using the LRN. Do not create a second enrollment record or seek another LRN to work around an error; duplicate records can cause further transfer and graduation problems.

Graduates, including ALS completers

DepEd’s published correction service is intended for personal-information errors that are purely typographical. The request is filed through the SDO Records Section and evaluated by the SDO Legal Unit. The DepEd 2026 Citizen’s Charter correction process lists these standard documents:

A request letter identifying every entry to be corrected;
The diploma, Form 137, or SF10 containing the error;
Certification or endorsement from the school head;
A PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth;
An affidavit of discrepancy;
An affidavit of two disinterested persons;
A valid photo-and-signature ID;
The prescribed data-privacy consent form; and
For a representative, an authorization letter or Special Power of Attorney and valid IDs of both persons.

A private-school graduate may also be required to submit the Special Order of Graduation where applicable. Confirm the number of originals and photocopies with the particular SDO before filing.

The published service is free and states a total agency processing time of two days and one hour for a complete application. That figure does not include time spent completing deficiencies, obtaining school documents, travel, queues, or later reissuance of the corrected credential.

Grade, subject, unit, or graduation disputes

A disagreement over a grade, credited subject, number of units, eligibility to graduate, or disciplinary notation is not merely a typographical personal-information correction. Submit a written academic-record review or appeal to the registrar, principal, dean, or designated academic authority under the institution’s rules.

Attach records such as:

Report cards, class cards, registration forms, and official receipts;
Teacher-issued or registrar-issued grade reports;
Approved change-of-grade forms;
Examination, completion, or remedial-class records;
Curriculum and subject-equivalency documents;
Emails or written notices from the school; and
Earlier certified copies showing the disputed entry differently.

Ask for the written factual and regulatory basis of the decision. Institutional appeal periods can be short, so do not wait for an employment or admission deadline before raising a known grade discrepancy.

When the PSA birth certificate is the problem

A school normally needs a legally reliable source document before changing identity information. If the PSA certificate contains the same disputed entry, an affidavit alone will not necessarily authorize the school to use a different fact.

Under Republic Act No. 9048, a local civil registrar or Philippine consul may administratively correct qualifying clerical or typographical errors and process qualifying changes of first name. Republic Act No. 10172 extends the administrative procedure to a patently clerical error in the day or month of birth and in the recorded sex, subject to its documentary and publication requirements.

Substantial or disputed changes may require judicial proceedings under Rule 108 of the Rules of Court, depending on the entry and facts. The Supreme Court has emphasized that matters covered by RA 9048 and RA 10172 generally must first use the applicable administrative remedy. See Republic v. Cagandahan-related procedural clarification in G.R. No. 243288.

Practical sequence:

Obtain a recent PSA copy and check the local civil-registry copy.
Ask the local civil registrar which statutory procedure applies.
Complete the administrative petition or obtain the required court order.
Secure the annotated or corrected PSA document.
Submit it to every affected school or education agency.
Request correction of both the database entry and issued credentials.

A correction normally leaves an auditable history; it does not require the school to destroy the original record.

How to obtain or correct college and university credentials

Apply first to the registrar of the institution that created the record. State:

Your complete name while enrolled and your current legal name;
Student number, program, campus, and dates of attendance;
Whether you graduated or earned units only;
The exact documents required;
The purpose and recipient;
Whether sealed, certified, electronically transmitted, or authenticated copies are needed; and
Every entry alleged to be wrong.

For a personal-information correction, provide the registrar’s required proof. Depending on the facts, this may include the PSA birth certificate, an annotated PSA record, marriage certificate, adoption or legitimation documents, a final court order, passport, or an affidavit explaining the discrepancy. Requirements vary because a simple encoding error, a later legal change, and a disputed identity are not the same problem.

For example, official CHED regional guidance on graduation records requires names to follow the PSA-authenticated birth certificate and requires a PSA annotation as the basis for a change of name. A registrar may issue a correction certification or annotation instead of printing a replacement diploma; confirm what the receiving authority will accept.

If the college or university has closed

Contact the CHED Regional Office with jurisdiction over the school’s former location. Ask:

Whether the institution formally closed, merged, or changed name;
Who was designated custodian of its student records;
Whether CHED received the relevant enrollment, promotional, graduation, or transcript records;
What can be certified or reconstructed from records actually in custody; and
What evidence is required if the applicant has an old TOR, diploma, registration form, or receipt.

A CHED regional procedure for an individual filing involving a closed HEI lists a notarized request letter, diploma or TOR, certification of units earned for a non-graduate, proof of payment, and—where applicable—a correction-of-name certification or notarized representative authorization. Requirements may differ by region and according to the records deposited.

CHED cannot create grades or a degree that the surviving official records do not establish. If verification finds no matching academic record, CHED’s electronic process may issue a negative certification rather than a replacement credential.

Certification, authentication, and foreign use

A CAV confirms the authenticity of an academic document; it does not replace a missing TOR or correct the source record. Correct discrepancies before applying.

For higher-education records, the CHED eCAV system requires documents such as:

An official TOR certified true by the current HEI registrar;
A diploma or certificate of graduation for graduates;
A certificate of units earned for undergraduates;
Additional program-specific records where applicable; and
A barangay certificate if a qualified first-time jobseeker is claiming the available payment exemption.

CHED’s 2025 Citizen’s Charter lists an ₱80 eCAV fee and three-working-day processing time for a complete online application. An individual on-site CAV is listed at ₱80 and seven working days. Deficiencies or unverifiable records can delay or prevent issuance.

If the document will be used abroad, ask the foreign school, employer, licensing body, embassy, or immigration authority whether it requires:

The original or certified school credential;
DepEd, CHED, or TESDA certification or CAV;
A DFA Apostille; and
A certified translation or destination-country procedure.

As of the source-check date, Apostilles for CHED eCAVs are processed through the DFA’s online Philippine Apostille Registration System. Use the current DFA Apostille documentary requirements rather than an old “red ribbon” checklist. An Apostille authenticates the origin of the public document; it does not prove that the receiving foreign authority will accept the qualification.

TESDA certificates

A TESDA-issued NC or COC is different from a training certificate issued by a school or training center. Request each document from its issuer.

Under TESDA’s official assessment and certification procedure:

For a lost NC or COC, apply at the TESDA issuing office with a request letter, notarized affidavit of loss, and one passport-size colored photograph.
For a damaged certificate, submit a request letter, the original damaged certificate, and one passport-size colored photograph.
For an erroneous entry, submit a request letter, the original NC or COC, one passport-size colored photograph, and a certified photocopy of the passport or birth certificate.
A representative claiming the certificate must present a Special Power of Attorney. The official receipt and valid ID must also be presented when claiming.
TESDA schedules the release of replacements or corrected certificates; its public replacement instructions do not promise one uniform nationwide release period.

NCs and COCs are generally valid for five years. Replacement of a lost certificate does not renew an expired certification. Renewal or reassessment follows separate rules, depending on whether new Training Regulations have been promulgated. Certificate status may be checked through TESDA’s Registry of Certified Workers.

Fees, clearances, and unpaid obligations

For basic-education transfers, DepEd’s policy places the school-record transfer between the schools and provides for transmission costs to be charged to authorized SDO or school funds. DepEd also reiterates that nonpayment of voluntary school contributions or membership fees must not be used as a basis for non-admission, non-promotion, or denial of clearance.

That rule should not be generalized to every disputed tuition, property, contractual, or other obligation. If a school withholds a record:

Ask which exact document is being withheld.
Request the written policy and legal basis.
Ask for an itemized statement of the alleged obligation.
Distinguish a permanent-record transfer from an optional extra copy or special certification.
Pay only through an official channel and obtain an official receipt.
Elevate a basic-education dispute to the SDO or a higher-education dispute to the appropriate CHED Regional Office.

Qualified first-time jobseekers may receive specified government documents without government fees under the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, generally upon presentation of the required barangay certification. The benefit is limited, may be used only once, and does not waive every private-school charge or DFA Apostille fee.

Your access and correction rights

School records contain personal information. Section 16 of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 gives a data subject rights to reasonable access and to dispute inaccurate personal information and have it corrected, unless the request is vexatious or otherwise unreasonable.

These rights do not automatically entitle a person to take the original permanent record, bypass identity verification, alter a disputed academic judgment, or avoid a lawful certification procedure. Schools may require proof of identity, authorization, and a legitimate delivery method to protect the record.

If inaccurate personal data has been sent to another institution, request in writing that the school correct its record and notify prior recipients where the law permits. For a privacy-rights violation, first contact the school’s data protection officer. If unresolved, consult the National Privacy Commission’s data-subject guidance and current complaint procedure.

Evidence to preserve

Keep a complete file containing:

Scans of every record, front and back;
The PSA certificate and any annotation;
Government IDs used for the request;
Enrollment, registration, payment, graduation, and transfer records;
Your request letter and list of attachments;
Email headers, acknowledgment messages, reference numbers, and claim stubs;
Official receipts;
Written deficiency notices or denials;
Courier tracking and proof of delivery;
The recipient’s documentary requirements and deadline; and
Notes of calls or visits, including dates, names, offices, and commitments made.

Do not surrender your only surviving diploma, TOR, report card, or court document without a receipt and a clear written reason. When an original must be inspected, ask whether it can be returned after comparison.

Common mistakes to avoid

Requesting “school records” without naming the exact credential;
Asking DepEd Central Office for an individual Form 137;
Hand-carrying Form 137/SF10 during an ordinary school transfer;
Treating Form 138/SF9 as the same document as Form 137/SF10;
Assuming an affidavit can override an erroneous PSA record;
Applying for CAV or Apostille before correcting the source credential;
Confusing a TESDA NC or COC with a training-center certificate;
Creating a second LRN to escape a learner-record error;
Sending unredacted records or IDs through unofficial social-media accounts;
Paying a fixer or an unofficial “rush” service;
Waiting until the last day of an admission, board-examination, visa, or employment deadline; or
Accepting an oral refusal without requesting the reason and remedy in writing.

When escalation or legal help is urgent

Act promptly when:

A board examination, visa, admission, scholarship, or employment deadline is approaching;
Different records identify you as different people;
The school has closed or records may be deteriorating or missing;
A grade or graduation-status appeal period is running;
Someone appears to have altered, fabricated, or unlawfully disclosed a record;
The requested change affects parentage, citizenship, age, civil status, surname, or another substantial civil-registry matter;
A school refuses to explain a denial or alleged obligation; or
The records are being used against you in litigation, licensure, immigration, or an administrative case.

For basic education, escalate to the school head and then the SDO’s Records, SGOD, or Legal Unit. For higher education, contact the registrar and the appropriate CHED Regional Office. For TESDA credentials, contact the issuing District or Provincial Office and then the regional office.

For delay by a government office, compare the actual service with its Citizen’s Charter. The general limits under Republic Act No. 11032 are three working days for simple transactions, seven for complex transactions, and twenty for highly technical transactions, subject to the statute’s rules and a properly stated extension. Complaints about covered government-service delays may be filed through the Anti-Red Tape Authority’s complaint system.

Consult a Philippine lawyer if the remedy may require a civil-registry court proceeding, injunction, damages claim, preservation of endangered records, or an appeal with a legal deadline.

Frequently asked questions

Can I personally obtain Form 137 or SF10?

Not for an ordinary transfer between Philippine schools; the an permanent record should be sent school-to-school. For another purpose, such as overseas study or a scholarship, DepEd permits a request through the appropriate SDO process.

Can a parent request an adult child’s records?

The school may require the adult learner’s written authorization and identification. For a minor, the school will verify the parent’s or legal guardian’s authority. A representative may need an authorization letter or Special Power of Attorney, depending on the document and agency.

Is a notarized affidavit enough to correct a name or birth date?

Usually not by itself. It can explain a discrepancy, but the school will generally require a PSA record, annotated civil-registry document, passport, court order, or other legally competent proof appropriate to the requested change.

How long does a correction take?

A complete DepEd graduate typographical-correction request is listed in the 2026 Citizen’s Charter at two days and one hour of agency processing. CHED lists three working days for complete eCAV applications. Schools, universities, closed-school searches, civil-registry proceedings, academic appeals, and incomplete applications have different timelines.

Must I obtain CAV and an Apostille?

Only if the receiving authority requires them. CAV verifies the educational document; a DFA Apostille authenticates the relevant Philippine public document for use in a country where that process applies. Neither corrects the original record.

What if my only copy was lost?

Request a certified copy or replacement from the proper custodian. If the school has closed, bring any surviving secondary evidence—old photocopies, IDs, receipts, registration forms, report cards, or employment records—to the relevant SDO or CHED Regional Office. Such evidence can assist a search but does not guarantee that an official credential can be reconstructed.

What if the school says no record exists?

Request a written search result or certification stating what repositories and identifiers were checked. Verify spelling variants, student number, campus, program, school year, maiden or former name, and LRN. For a closed basic-education school, ask the SDO about School Form 5. For a closed HEI, ask CHED whether it holds deposited records or can issue a negative certification.

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal advice for a particular record or dispute. Procedures can depend on the school, region, documents, and intended use. Official sources and procedures were checked as of August 6, 2026.