Quick answer

To obtain Form 137 as a certified true copy, request it from the school—or the DepEd office—that has custody of the learner’s permanent record. The authorized school principal, registrar, school administrator, records officer, or other designated custodian must compare the copy with the record on file and certify it. You cannot certify your own photocopy, and notarization by itself does not make a photocopy a school-certified true copy.

Form 137 is now generally called School Form 10 (SF10), Learner’s Permanent Academic Record. DepEd’s current school-form materials still identify SF10 as the former Form 137. A properly certified SF10 is therefore normally acceptable when an agency asks for a certified Form 137, although the recipient should confirm this before filing.

If the document will be used only in the Philippines, a school-certified copy may be enough. If the recipient specifically requires DepEd Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV)—commonly for overseas employment, foreign study, professional registration, or apostille—the school certification is only the first stage. DepEd CAV and a DFA Apostille are separate additional processes.

First determine what the recipient actually requires

Ask the employer, school, licensing body, embassy, court, or government agency whether it needs:

A photocopy;
A certified true copy issued by the school;
A DepEd-CAV document; or
A DepEd-CAV document followed by a DFA Apostille or other foreign legalization.

Do not assume that “authenticated,” “certified,” “red ribbon,” “CAV,” and “apostilled” mean the same thing.

A certified true copy confirms that the copy matches the record held by its lawful custodian. DepEd CAV adds verification through the appropriate DepEd offices. A DFA Apostille authenticates the origin of a Philippine public document for use in another country; it does not validate the learner’s grades or guarantee that a foreign institution will accept the credential.

Who may certify Form 137

Start with the last elementary or secondary school that maintained or completed the learner’s permanent record. Ask for the registrar, records office, or school head.

The certification should be made by an authorized official who can examine the record in the school’s custody, such as the:

School principal or school head;
Registrar;
School administrator;
Authorized records officer; or
DepEd official who has lawful custody of records from a closed or transferred school.

DepEd’s current service materials recognize certified copies of SF10/Form 137 signed by a school principal, registrar, or school administrator. The general evidentiary principle is similar: a certified copy of a public record must come from the officer who has custody of it or an authorized deputy, not from someone who merely possesses a photocopy. See the Supreme Court’s 2019 Amendments to the Revised Rules on Evidence.

A lawyer or notary who does not hold the school record cannot independently verify the grades and entries. Notarizing an affidavit about a photocopy is different from having the lawful records custodian certify the copy.

How to request the certified true copy

1. Contact the record-holding school

Ask whether its current permanent record is labeled Form 137, SF10-ES, SF10-JHS, or SF10-SHS. DepEd’s Learner Information System support page lists the current SF10 versions.

Provide enough information to locate the record:

Learner’s complete name while enrolled;
Current name, if different;
Date of birth;
Learner Reference Number, if known;
Grade or year level;
School year attended or year graduated;
Former section or adviser, if known; and
Purpose and deadline for the request.

DepEd Central Office generally does not keep individual learners’ school records. DepEd has advised requesters to begin with the school and coordinate with the Schools Division Office having jurisdiction over it. See this official DepEd eFOI response concerning Form 137.

2. Submit the school’s identification and authorization requirements

Requirements vary by school and by the age and status of the learner. Be prepared to present:

The learner’s valid government-issued ID;
A written request form or request letter;
Proof of identity or relationship if the learner is a minor;
A signed authorization and copies of the parties’ IDs if a representative will claim the record; and
Any additional authority required by the school or receiving agency.

Educational records contain personal information. Schools may reasonably verify the requester’s identity and authority before releasing them. The learner has rights concerning access to personal data, while parents or guardians exercise the privacy rights of minors under their care. See the National Privacy Commission’s guidance on data-subject rights and the right to access.

3. Request the correct number and format of copies

Tell the school whether the recipient requires:

A full copy or only a specified grade level;
Every page certified;
A sealed school envelope;
A particular certification statement;
An original wet signature;
A dry seal or official school seal;
DepEd CAV; or
Direct transmission by the school.

Copy counts and documentary requirements are not uniform across all DepEd regions and recipients. Do not rely on an old online checklist. Confirm the current requirements with the school and the DepEd Regional Office that has jurisdiction over it before paying or producing multiple sets.

4. Check the certification before leaving

A usable certified copy should ordinarily be:

Complete and legible;
Consistent with the record on file;
Marked or stated to be a true or correct copy of the original record;
Signed by an authorized school or records official;
Dated;
Accompanied by the signatory’s printed name and official position; and
Impressed with the official seal or dry seal when the issuing office uses or requires one.

Check every page. Look for missing grades, cropped margins, unreadable seals, inconsistent names, unsigned corrections, blank certification fields, or pages that appear to belong to another learner.

Certification does not correct an erroneous record. It only confirms that the copy matches what is on file.

If DepEd CAV is required

The controlling national issuance is DepEd Order No. 48, s. 2017, which governs Certification, Authentication and Verification of basic-education school records.

Follow the procedure published by the DepEd Regional Office with jurisdiction over the school. Depending on the region and the record’s circumstances, the transaction may pass through the school, Schools Division Office, and Regional Office. The school may need to prepare certified copies and an endorsement or transmittal before the Regional Office completes CAV.

Regional procedures may require supporting documents such as:

The school-certified Form 137 or SF10;
Certificate of graduation, completion, attendance, or level completed;
Diploma, when applicable;
Photographs;
Documentary stamps;
School endorsement;
Special Order information for certain private-school records; and
Authorization documents if filed through a representative.

For example, DepEd Region III maintains an official CAV service and appointment page. Requirements, submission channels, copy counts, fees, and processing times can differ by region and may be revised through a Citizen’s Charter or advisory. Use the page for the region that supervises the issuing school.

There is no safe nationwide promise that every school CTC or CAV request will be released within the same number of days. Record location, discrepancies, school closure, incomplete files, verification with a private school, and local processing rules can affect the timeline.

If the record will be used abroad

For elementary or high-school Form 137 and diploma documents, the DFA’s current documentary-requirements page calls for certified true copies from the school and DepEd CAV before apostille processing. Review the official DFA documentary requirements and application process.

DFA offices offering authentication services currently accept applications through the online Apostille appointment system. Declare all documents correctly when booking; documents omitted from the application may require another application and appointment.

Before proceeding, ask the foreign recipient:

Whether the destination country accepts an Apostille;
Whether Form 137 alone is sufficient;
Whether it also needs the diploma or graduation certificate;
Whether a translation is required;
Whether the record must remain in a sealed envelope; and
How recently the CTC, CAV, or Apostille must have been issued.

An Apostille certifies the document’s official origin. It does not evaluate Philippine credentials or compel a foreign school, employer, regulator, or immigration authority to recognize them.

What if the school has closed or cannot find the record?

Do not have a private person recreate or type a replacement Form 137.

Contact the Schools Division Office with jurisdiction over the former school. Records from a closed school may have been transferred to the SDO or another designated custodian. Provide the school’s complete former name, address, years of operation if known, and the learner’s enrollment details.

DepEd Order No. 48 contains special procedures and alternative supporting evidence for lost, damaged, destroyed, or unavailable school documents. Depending on the facts, DepEd may examine records already filed with another educational institution or employer, sworn statements from qualified persons, graduation materials, or other proof. These alternatives are not automatic substitutes: the responsible SDO or Regional Office must determine whether they are sufficient and what document can lawfully be issued.

If the school changed its name, ownership, location, or DepEd school ID, ask the SDO to identify the present custodian rather than submitting requests to several unrelated schools.

Correct discrepancies before authentication

Compare the record with the learner’s PSA birth certificate and other official documents before requesting CAV or an Apostille. Pay particular attention to:

Spelling and order of names;
Middle name or middle initial;
Date and place of birth;
Sex;
Learner Reference Number;
School name and school ID;
Dates of attendance or graduation;
Grade-level entries; and
Alterations or handwritten corrections.

Do not erase, overwrite, cover, digitally edit, or “fix” the copy yourself. A name, birth-detail, or grade discrepancy may require a formal school-record correction supported by official documents and approved through the appropriate DepEd process. A certified copy containing an unresolved error can be rejected later even if the certification itself is genuine.

Evidence and records to preserve

Keep:

A copy of the signed request;
The school’s acknowledgment, claim stub, or official receipt;
Emails and written instructions from the school, SDO, Regional Office, DFA, and receiving institution;
The current online checklist or appointment confirmation;
Scans of the certified document before submission;
Courier tracking and proof of delivery;
Authorization documents used by a representative; and
The name, position, and office of the person who released the record.

Store school records securely. Avoid posting an unredacted Form 137 online because it may expose birth details, grades, LRN, signatures, and other personal information.

Common mistakes to avoid

Asking a notary, barangay official, or unrelated government office to certify a school record it does not hold;
Submitting an ordinary photocopy marked “CTC” by the applicant;
Confusing SF9/Form 138, the report card, with SF10/Form 137, the permanent record;
Sending the only available original without retaining a scan and proof of delivery;
Requesting an Apostille before obtaining the required school certification and DepEd CAV;
Using the CAV requirements of a region that does not supervise the school;
Relying on old “red ribbon” instructions;
Ignoring name, birth-date, or graduation-date discrepancies;
Altering a record after certification;
Paying a fixer for an appointment or guaranteed approval; and
Assuming that certification guarantees acceptance by the receiving institution.

When help is urgent

Contact the school’s registrar or principal and the proper SDO immediately when:

A filing, visa, enrollment, licensing, or employment deadline is close;
The school refuses to identify the records custodian;
The record is missing, damaged, or reportedly destroyed;
The school has closed;
The record contains a material discrepancy;
An unsigned alteration or possible falsification appears;
A foreign recipient requires a sealed or directly transmitted record; or
Someone asks you to surrender the only original without explaining how it will be protected or returned.

For privacy-related denial of access, first make a written request to the school and its data protection officer, identifying the learner and the authority to request the record. Preserve the response before considering a complaint or seeking legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Can I certify a photocopy myself?

No. A meaningful certified true copy must be issued or attested by the school or other office that lawfully holds and can compare it with the record.

Is notarization enough?

Usually not. A notary may acknowledge a signature or administer an oath, but cannot certify the accuracy of grades in a school record the notary does not hold. Use notarization only when a specific affidavit or authorization is separately required.

Is SF10 the same as Form 137?

SF10 is the current learner’s permanent academic record and is identified by DepEd as the former Form 137. Confirm whether the recipient accepts the appropriate SF10 version for the learner’s level.

Is Form 138 an acceptable substitute?

Not automatically. Form 138, now generally SF9, is the learner’s report card. It is different from the permanent record. Submit it only if the recipient or DepEd procedure expressly allows it.

Does a certified Form 137 expire?

No single nationwide expiry period applies to every certified Form 137. However, a school, employer, embassy, regulator, DepEd office, or foreign authority may require a recently issued record or impose its own validity period. Check before requesting the copies.

Can another person request or claim it?

Often yes, subject to the school’s privacy and authorization requirements. The school may require a signed authorization or Special Power of Attorney, the learner’s ID, the representative’s ID, and proof of relationship for a minor.

Is CAV the same as an Apostille?

No. DepEd CAV verifies the basic-education record through DepEd. The DFA Apostille authenticates the official origin of the resulting Philippine document for foreign use.

What if I attended several schools?

Begin with the last school that maintained or completed the relevant permanent record. If it does not have custody, ask for a written referral to the school or DepEd office that does.

Must the recipient accept a certified copy?

Not necessarily. The recipient controls its filing requirements unless a specific law or rule provides otherwise. It may demand CAV, an Apostille, a sealed envelope, direct school transmission, or additional credentials.

Official references

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal advice for a particular record, dispute, or foreign filing. Requirements may depend on the school, records custodian, DepEd region, receiving institution, and destination country. Official sources and current procedures were checked on August 24, 2026.