Quick answer

A student—or the parent or legal guardian of a minor learner—may request access to school records, obtain official credentials, and ask that inaccurate entries be corrected. Start with the registrar or school head that keeps the record. Submit a dated written request identifying the document or error, the correct information, the purpose of the request, and the supporting records.

The proper route depends on the document:

For elementary and secondary records, deal first with the school and, when necessary, the DepEd Schools Division Office (SDO).
For college, university, and graduate-school records, apply through the higher education institution’s registrar. If the institution has closed, contact the CHED Regional Office that has custody of its records.
For a TESDA National Certificate or Certificate of Competency, apply to the TESDA office that issued it.
If the error originates in the birth certificate or another civil-registry record, correct that source record through the Local Civil Registry Office, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Philippine consulate, or court, as applicable. A school ordinarily cannot change a person’s civil status merely by editing its own database.

Under the Education Act of 1982, students have the right to access their own school records, to confidentiality, and to the issuance of official certificates, diplomas, transcripts, grades, transfer credentials, and similar documents within 30 days from request, subject to lawful and reasonable regulations. School records are also protected personal data under the Data Privacy Act.

Identify exactly what you need

Avoid asking simply for “school records.” Specify the document and intended use.

Common basic-education documents include:

School Form 9 or SF9, formerly Form 138, commonly called the report card;
School Form 10 or SF10, formerly Form 137, containing the learner’s permanent academic record;
diploma or certificate of completion;
certification of graduation, completion, enrollment, attendance, grades, or non-completion;
certificate of good moral character, if available and required; and
certified copies or Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) for use abroad or by another institution.

College and university credentials commonly include:

official Transcript of Records (TOR);
diploma;
transfer credential or honorable dismissal;
certification of graduation, enrollment, grades, units earned, or medium of instruction;
course descriptions or syllabus, if the receiving institution requires them; and
CAV of academic records.

For TESDA qualifications, the relevant document may be a National Certificate (NC), Certificate of Competency (COC), Competency Assessment Results, replacement certificate, or CAV.

A document described as “official” is normally issued, signed, sealed, certified, transmitted, or placed in an envelope according to the issuing school’s and receiving institution’s rules. A screenshot or student-portal printout may be useful evidence but is not automatically an official credential.

How to obtain elementary or secondary records

For enrollment or transfer to another Philippine school

DepEd Order No. 54, series of 2016 establishes a school-to-school process for the permanent record. The receiving school requests the learner’s SF10/Form 137 from the originating school through the Learner Information System and the prescribed official channels.

The learner or parent should ordinarily:

Present the SF9/report card and other enrollment requirements to the receiving school.
Give the receiving school the learner’s correct name, Learner Reference Number, last school attended, and relevant school year.
Ask the receiving school to initiate and monitor the SF10 request.
Follow up in writing if the record has not arrived.

The learner or parent must not hand-carry the permanent record in an ordinary school-to-school transfer. The rule protects the authenticity and confidentiality of the document.

Receiving schools are expected to secure incoming learners’ permanent records before the end of the first grading period. For a learner who transfers during the school year, the records should be secured within 30 days from the first day of attendance. If the originating school does not respond, the receiving school must follow the escalation process through the SDO.

If the SF10 is unavailable for reasons beyond the school’s control, DepEd policy permits the School Form 5 or Report on Promotion kept by the SDO to be used as a substitute in the situations covered by the order.

For employment, migration, scholarship, or another non-transfer purpose

DepEd Order No. 54 allows a person who needs an SF10, certificate of completion, or certificate of non-completion for another legitimate purpose to lodge the request at the nearest SDO. The requester may provide the LRN or identify the last school attended. The concerned SDO coordinates with the school or prepares an appropriate certification from available division records.

Before visiting, ask the SDO for its current Citizen’s Charter checklist. Identity verification, authorization, and documentary requirements may vary according to the requested record and the requester’s circumstances.

How to obtain college or university credentials

Apply first to the registrar of the institution where the subjects were taken or the degree was completed. A written request should state:

complete name used while enrolled;
student number, if known;
degree or program;
dates or school years attended;
campus or branch;
exact documents and number of copies;
recipient and purpose;
requested delivery method; and
current contact details.

The institution may require proof of identity, an authorization document for a representative, clearance, payment of authorized processing charges, or surrender of a damaged original when replacement is requested. Ask for the written legal or regulatory basis if an unusual requirement is imposed.

If another school needs the official TOR for transfer or admission, confirm whether the document must be sent directly from registrar to registrar. Do not open a sealed envelope if the receiving institution requires it to remain sealed.

If the college or university has closed

Contact the CHED Regional Office having jurisdiction over the institution’s former location. Ask:

whether CHED or another designated institution has custody of the student records;
what records were actually turned over;
whether CHED can issue a TOR, certification, or certified copy from the records in its custody; and
what identity, affidavit, authorization, payment, or courier requirements apply.

Whether a complete TOR or diploma can be produced depends on the records deposited by the closed institution. CHED cannot recreate grades or confer a degree that the available official records do not establish.

How to correct an entry in a school record

Step 1: Determine whether the school or the source document is wrong

Compare the questioned entry against:

PSA or local civil-registry certificate;
passport and government-issued IDs;
earliest school records;
enrollment forms;
baptismal or medical records, when relevant;
marriage certificate, annotated civil-registry record, or court order;
previous report cards and transcripts; and
the school’s source documents and electronic learner profile.

If the PSA birth certificate is correct but the school misspelled the name, the request is ordinarily for correction of the school record. If the school merely copied an error appearing in the civil-registry record, the civil-registry issue generally must be addressed first.

Step 2: File a specific written request

Address the request to the registrar or school head. Identify:

every incorrect entry;
the exact correction requested;
every affected record, including electronic records;
why the present entry is erroneous;
the documents supporting the correction; and
any enrollment, examination, employment, immigration, or licensing deadline.

Ask for a stamped receiving copy, reference number, or email acknowledgment. If the school has a prescribed correction form, complete it but retain the written explanation and attachments.

Step 3: Submit reliable supporting documents

Depending on the error, the school or supervising agency may require:

PSA-issued birth certificate or annotated certificate;
valid government-issued ID;
affidavit explaining the discrepancy;
earliest available school record;
marriage certificate;
adoption, legitimation, recognition, or change-of-name documents;
final administrative decision or court order;
the erroneous diploma, transcript, certificate, or report card; and
authorization and IDs if a representative will file or collect the document.

Requirements differ according to whether the correction is clerical, affects several historical records, changes identity or civil status, or involves a court or civil-registry decision. Obtain the current written checklist from the school, SDO, CHED Regional Office, or TESDA office rather than relying on an unofficial online list.

Step 4: Request correction of all linked records

A correction should not stop with one printed certificate. Ask the custodian to examine all affected records, including:

enrollment and admission records;
permanent academic record;
report cards and grade sheets;
diploma and completion certificate;
TOR;
electronic learner or student-information system;
graduation lists;
certifications previously issued; and
records already transmitted to another school or agency.

Ask whether a certification of correction will be issued. This can help explain why an old credential and a newly issued one contain different information.

Correcting a birth-certificate error first

Republic Act No. 9048 permits specified clerical or typographical errors and qualifying changes of first name or nickname to be processed administratively through the proper city or municipal civil registrar or Philippine consul. Republic Act No. 10172 extends the administrative process to a patently clerical error in the day or month of birth and in the recorded sex, subject to its evidentiary and publication requirements.

These laws do not make every discrepancy administratively correctible. A change involving nationality, age, civil status, filiation, or another substantial or controversial matter may require an appropriate court proceeding under Rule 108 of the Rules of Court or another applicable law.

For an administrative petition under RA 9048 or RA 10172, the supporting documents depend on the requested change. The statutes generally require the civil-registry record, at least two public or private documents supporting the correct entry, and any other relevant evidence. A change of first name and the corrections added by RA 10172 carry additional requirements, including publication. For a date-of-birth or sex entry covered by RA 10172, earliest school or other early records are specifically important.

After approval and annotation, obtain the updated PSA certificate and submit it to the school with the civil registrar’s or PSA’s supporting action. Do not erase, alter, or overwrite an original school credential yourself.

A PSA birth, marriage, or death certificate does not expire merely because it was issued years ago. Republic Act No. 11909 prohibits schools and other covered entities from demanding a newer copy when the existing certificate remains intact, readable, and retains its security features. A new copy may still be appropriate after an approved correction or when the old document is damaged or illegible.

Correcting grades and academic entries

The right to rectification covers inaccurate or erroneous personal data, but it does not automatically authorize a student to substitute a preferred grade for the academic judgment of a teacher or institution.

Separate these situations:

Encoding or transcription error: The teacher’s grade sheet shows 90, but the report card or TOR shows 80. Request an administrative correction and attach the source record.
Computation error: Ask for recomputation under the school’s grading policy and preserve the graded work and grade breakdown.
Disputed evaluation: Use the school’s academic appeal or grievance process. Explain the specific rubric, assessment, or policy allegedly applied incorrectly.
Fraudulent or unauthorized alteration: Preserve the original records and immediately report the matter to the school head or registrar and the appropriate regulator.

Requesting access to one’s grade breakdown, assessments, rubrics, and related academic information is generally consistent with the student’s access rights. Disclosure may still be limited or redacted to protect other students, privileged material, test security, or legally confidential information.

Lost, damaged, or never-issued credentials

Ask the original issuer for a replacement, duplicate, certified copy, or certification. The institution may mark a replacement diploma as “duplicate” or use its current document format. That notation does not by itself invalidate the document.

Typical supporting materials include proof of identity, a written request, an affidavit of loss for a lost original, the damaged credential for surrender, photographs if required for the document, and proof of payment of an authorized fee.

For a lost or damaged TESDA NC or COC, apply to the TESDA issuing office. TESDA’s published procedure requires a request letter and, for a lost certificate, a notarized affidavit of loss. For an erroneous entry, TESDA requires the original certificate, a request letter, a photograph, and a certified photocopy of the passport or birth certificate. Confirm the current checklist with the issuing office before filing.

Authentication and use abroad

CAV is different from correction and different from issuance of the underlying credential. Obtain the correct official school document first.

For basic-education records, follow DepEd’s CAV procedure through the school and the appropriate DepEd office. For higher-education records, the school generally verifies and endorses the documents to the appropriate CHED Regional Office. CHED maintains an electronic CAV system, but the filing route and requirements depend on the type of institution, regional office, and whether the school is operating or closed.

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

a school-certified document only;
DepEd or CHED CAV;
DFA Apostille;
embassy legalization;
certified translation; or
direct electronic verification.

Do not pay for every authentication step without first confirming what the receiving authority actually accepts.

Privacy and who may request the records

Education records identify the student and concern the student’s education. They are protected personal data, and educational information is treated as sensitive personal information under the Data Privacy Act.

An adult student ordinarily exercises their own rights of access and rectification. A school may require written authorization or a special power of attorney before releasing records to a parent, sibling, spouse, employer, recruiter, or other representative.

For a minor learner, a parent or legal guardian may generally act for the child, subject to proof of identity and authority. Custody disputes, protective orders, adoption records, or conflicts between parents may require closer legal review.

A school must protect confidentiality while providing reasonable access to the learner’s own records. It may verify identity, redact third-party information, and impose lawful safeguards. “Data privacy,” however, is not a blanket justification for refusing to let a student access their own information.

If the school delays or refuses

Send a documented follow-up

After the initial request, send a concise follow-up containing:

date and manner of filing;
receiving person or reference number;
exact records requested;
supporting documents already submitted;
statutory or published processing period;
deadline affecting the student; and
request for a written decision identifying any deficiency or legal basis for refusal.

The Education Act’s 30-day rule should be considered when assessing delay, although a requester should also comply promptly with lawful identity, authorization, payment, or documentary requirements. For an SF10 transfer, follow the more specific DepEd school-to-school and SDO escalation process.

Escalate to the proper regulator

For elementary or secondary education:

school head or registrar;
Schools Division Office;
DepEd Regional Office or Central Office, when appropriate.

For higher education:

registrar;
college president or designated grievance office;
CHED Regional Office with jurisdiction.

For TESDA credentials, contact the issuing TESDA office and then the appropriate provincial, district, or regional office.

If the dispute concerns denial of access to or correction of personal data, first invoke the school’s data-subject request process or contact its data protection officer. If the matter remains unresolved, a complaint may be brought to the National Privacy Commission under its applicable complaint rules. The NPC can address privacy rights, but it does not replace DepEd, CHED, TESDA, a civil registrar, or a court in deciding academic merits or civil-status corrections.

Evidence to preserve

Keep:

the original erroneous, damaged, or disputed document;
clear scans or photographs of both sides;
application forms and attachments;
acknowledgment receipts and official receipts;
emails, letters, text messages, and portal screenshots;
names, positions, dates, and summaries of conversations;
written reasons for denial or deficiency notices;
envelopes, tracking numbers, and proof of delivery;
civil-registry records, court orders, and agency decisions;
proof of an admission, employment, examination, visa, or licensing deadline; and
copies of records before and after correction.

Never surrender the only copy of an irreplaceable document without obtaining a receipt and making a complete digital copy.

Common mistakes

Asking for “Form 137” without explaining whether it is for school transfer or another purpose.
Hand-carrying the permanent record when DepEd requires school-to-school transmission.
Correcting only the diploma while leaving the permanent record or electronic database unchanged.
Expecting the school to amend a birth-certificate error that requires civil-registry action.
Treating a genuine change of name or civil status as a mere spelling correction.
Using correction procedures to challenge an academic judgment without following the grade-appeal process.
Sending records to a recruiter or representative without written authorization.
Paying an unofficial facilitator instead of using the school’s or agency’s documented process.
Altering, laminating over, erasing, or digitally editing an original credential.
Waiting until an enrollment, board-examination, visa, or employment deadline is imminent.

When legal help is urgent

Consult counsel promptly when:

the discrepancy involves identity, filiation, adoption, legitimacy, nationality, sex, age, or civil status;
the civil registrar says a judicial proceeding is required;
different people appear to be using the same school identity or LRN;
grades or credentials appear to have been falsified or unlawfully altered;
a closed school’s records are missing and an important deadline is approaching;
the school refuses to explain a prolonged denial in writing;
records were disclosed to an unauthorized person;
a regulator has issued an adverse decision with a short period for reconsideration or appeal; or
the error threatens graduation, admission, licensure, immigration status, or employment.

Frequently asked questions

Can a parent request the records of an adult child?

Not automatically. The school may require the adult student’s written authorization and proof of identity. Different considerations apply when the adult cannot legally act for themselves and a representative has lawful authority.

Can I personally collect Form 137 or SF10 for transfer?

For an ordinary DepEd school-to-school transfer, the permanent record is transmitted directly between schools. The parent or learner should coordinate with the receiving school instead of hand-carrying it. A request for another legitimate purpose follows the separate process under DepEd Order No. 54.

What if I do not know my LRN?

Give the school or SDO your complete name used while enrolled, birth details, last school, grade level, and school year. The LRN helps locate the record, but DepEd’s non-transfer request process also allows identification through the last school attended.

Can the school change my surname based only on an affidavit?

Usually not when the proposed change affects legal identity or civil status. An affidavit may explain a discrepancy, but the school may properly require an annotated civil-registry record, administrative decision, or court order.

Can I demand that a disputed grade be “corrected” under the Data Privacy Act?

You may demand correction of a demonstrably erroneous encoding, transcription, or computation. A disagreement with academic evaluation generally must go through the school’s academic review or appeal process.

What if my school closed many years ago?

For basic education, contact the SDO where the school operated. For a higher education institution, contact the appropriate CHED Regional Office. Give the school’s complete name, former address, years attended, program, and any surviving records. The result depends on what records were formally deposited and remain available.

Can a representative request or claim my credentials?

Often yes, but the institution may require written authorization, a special power of attorney, and valid IDs of both the student and representative. Follow the specific custodian’s checklist.

Are old PSA certificates still acceptable?

Yes, provided they remain intact, readable, and retain their authenticity and security features. RA 11909 gives covered civil-registry certificates permanent validity. Obtain an updated copy after an approved correction or if the old certificate is damaged or illegible.

Official sources

This article provides general legal information, not legal advice. Requirements may vary according to the record, school, supervising office, and facts of the case. Official sources and procedures were checked as of August 24, 2026.