Quick answer

You may request access to your own school records and official copies of your diploma, grades, transcript, transfer credentials, and similar documents. Philippine law generally requires their issuance within 30 days from request. For a minor, a parent or legal guardian may access records directly relating to the child. Schools must also keep the records confidential and may verify identity or require written authority before releasing them. These rights appear in Sections 8 and 9 of the Education Act of 1982.

Start with the registrar or records office of the school that created the record:

For elementary or high school, request the record from the current or last school attended. A permanent record—SF10, formerly Form 137—is ordinarily transferred directly from school to school.
For college or graduate-school records, apply first to the university or college registrar, not CHED.
If the school has closed or its records are missing, approach the DepEd Schools Division Office for basic education or the appropriate CHED Regional Office for higher education.
For a TESDA National Certificate or Certificate of Competency, apply through the appropriate TESDA Provincial or District Office.

A simple copying or encoding error can usually be corrected administratively after the school verifies reliable documents. But if the supposed “school error” comes from an incorrect birth certificate, a legal change of name, filiation, civil status, year of birth, or another substantial identity issue, the civil-registry or court process may have to be completed first. The school cannot use a data-correction request to rewrite a civil-registry entry, fabricate a grade, or change a valid academic determination.

Know which document you need

Using the correct document name prevents delay.

Education level	Document	What it generally shows
Basic education	SF9, formerly Form 138	Report card or progress for a particular school year or semester
Basic education	SF10, formerly Form 137	Permanent academic record and academic history
Basic education	Diploma or certificate of completion/graduation	Completion of a particular level
Higher education	Transcript of Records or TOR	Subjects, grades, units, terms, and program information
Higher education	Diploma or certificate of graduation	Completion of the degree or program
Higher education	Transfer credential or honorable dismissal	Authority or eligibility to transfer, subject to applicable rules
TESDA	Certificate of Training	Completion of training, issued by the training institution
TESDA	National Certificate or Certificate of Competency	Competency certification issued through TESDA’s assessment and certification system

DepEd’s present school-form terminology uses SF10 for the permanent academic record and SF9 for the progress report card, although “Form 137” and “Form 138” remain widely understood. See DepEd Order No. 58, s. 2017 and the official Learner Information System support page.

Ask the organization requiring the document whether it needs:

an ordinary school copy;
a certified true copy;
a sealed or school-to-school copy;
a certification of graduation or units earned;
CAV or eCAV; or
a DFA Apostille for use abroad.

These are not interchangeable.

Your rights—and their limits

The Education Act of 1982 applies to public and private schools at all levels. It gives pupils and students the right to:

access their own school records;
have those records kept confidential; and
receive official certificates, diplomas, transcripts, grades, transfer credentials, and similar documents within 30 days from request.

That does not necessarily mean you may take the school’s original permanent record. The school may retain the original and release a certified copy or send the official record directly to another institution. It may also require proof of identity, authorization for a representative, payment of an authorized document fee, or compliance with a lawful procedure.

School records also contain sensitive personal information. Under the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, you have rights of reasonable access and rectification. The National Privacy Commission explains that an inaccurate entry should be corrected within a reasonable period, but that this right does not replace a court, civil-registry, government-agency, or other official correction process required by law. See the NPC’s guidance on the right to rectify.

A privacy right also does not authorize you to:

obtain another person’s records without lawful authority;
change a correctly recorded grade merely because you disagree with it;
erase a valid disciplinary or academic entry that the school must lawfully preserve; or
compel a school to alter an original civil-registry fact without the required official decision.

How to obtain basic-education records

If the learner is transferring schools

Give the receiving school the learner’s complete name, Learner Reference Number if known, last school attended, school year, and grade level. Under DepEd Order No. 54, s. 2016:

the receiving school requests the permanent record from the originating school through the prescribed school-to-school process;
the learner or parent should not hand-carry SF10/Form 137 for an ordinary school transfer;
the receiving school should secure the permanent record before the end of the first grading period; and
for a learner who transfers during the school year, the record should be secured within 30 days from the first day of attendance.

If the permanent record is unavailable for circumstances beyond the school’s control, DepEd allows the Schools Division Office’s School Form 5 or Report on Promotions to serve as a substitute in the situations covered by the order.

Follow up with the receiving school, because it is responsible for initiating and monitoring the school-to-school request. Ask for the date the request was sent, the originating school’s response, and any LIS transfer issue that remains unresolved.

If the record is needed for employment, scholarship, travel, or another personal purpose

Apply to the last school attended. If that is impractical, or the school cannot act, DepEd Order No. 54 allows a request for Form 137 or a certification of completion to be lodged through a Schools Division Office, including an SDO near the requesting party’s current address. The SDO can coordinate with the office covering the last school attended.

For a personal request, prepare:

a signed request identifying the exact document and purpose;
complete name used while enrolled;
LRN, if known;
dates or school years attended;
grade level and section, if known;
valid ID;
authorization or Special Power of Attorney, if a representative will act;
proof of parental or guardianship authority for a minor, when requested; and
the applicable fee or official receipt, if the office charges an authorized certification or reproduction fee.

Ask whether the school can issue the exact document requested. A school may issue a replacement diploma, a certified copy, or a certification of graduation depending on its records and policy. There is no automatic right to a newly printed diploma that reproduces the original design, signatures, and security features.

How to obtain college or university records

Submit a written request to the registrar of the college or university that holds the records. Identify whether you need a TOR, diploma, certificate of graduation, certificate of units earned, course description, transfer credential, or certified true copy.

Include:

the name used while enrolled;
student number;
program or degree;
dates attended or graduation date;
the document’s intended use;
valid ID;
written authorization and IDs if a representative will transact; and
proof of payment or completion of any legitimate registrar requirements.

Obtain an acknowledgment showing the date of submission. The 30-day right under the Education Act is easier to enforce when the school cannot dispute when it received the request.

CHED normally does not create the TOR or diploma for an operating institution. The institution’s registrar does. CHED becomes relevant for regulatory complaints, verification through CAV/eCAV, or records of certain closed higher education institutions.

How to correct an error

1. Identify whether the error is in the school record or in the source document

Compare all available documents:

PSA birth certificate;
earlier school records;
SF9/Form 138 and SF10/Form 137;
TOR and diploma;
enrollment forms;
passport or government IDs;
marriage certificate, adoption order, or civil-registry annotation, if relevant; and
the school’s official class records or approved grade-change documents.

If the PSA birth certificate is correct but the school mistyped the name or birth date, the school can generally evaluate an administrative correction.

If the school copied the entry accurately from a birth certificate that is itself wrong, correct the civil-registry record first unless the responsible office directs otherwise. The National Privacy Commission expressly recognizes that data rectification may depend on a court, government agency, or another official legal process.

2. File one clear written correction request

Address the request to the registrar, school head, or records officer. State:

the exact incorrect entry;
the exact correction requested;
every affected record or database;
how the error occurred, if known;
the documents supporting the correct entry; and
whether copies were previously sent to another school, employer, government agency, or credential evaluator.

Request correction of both the visible document and the underlying master record where appropriate. For a basic-education learner, ask the school to check the LIS profile, LRN, SF10, SF9, enrollment history, and diploma or certificate. For a college student or graduate, ask the registrar to check the student information system, TOR, diploma, graduation records, and any CHED-related record.

Keep a stamped receiving copy or the complete email thread.

3. Use the right proof

Exact requirements vary by school, SDO, CHEDRO, and type of error. A correction package commonly includes:

request letter;
original or certified copy of the record containing the error;
PSA birth certificate or the newly annotated civil-registry document;
at least two earlier or independent records showing the correct entry;
affidavit of discrepancy, if required;
valid ID;
school-head endorsement for an SDO request;
authorization or SPA and both parties’ IDs; and
the private school’s graduation Special Order or other official graduation proof, when applicable.

Do not assume that an affidavit alone changes an official fact. An affidavit explains the discrepancy; it does not override a birth certificate, court order, official grade record, or final administrative decision.

4. Ask for a written resolution and corrected output

The appropriate output may be:

a corrected and reissued record;
an annotated record;
a certification explaining the correction;
an SDO or registrar resolution directing correction;
a corrected LIS or institutional database entry; or
a written denial stating the reason and the remedy available.

Schools should preserve an audit trail. Correction does not necessarily mean erasing all evidence of the former entry. Under data-privacy rules, the institution may need to keep the new and retracted information accessible for legitimate verification and, upon reasonable request, inform recipients who previously received the inaccurate data.

Special correction issues

Wrong name, date of birth, or sex in the birth certificate

Republic Act No. 9048 permits administrative correction of qualifying clerical or typographical civil-registry errors and administrative change of a first name or nickname. Republic Act No. 10172 extends the administrative process to a patently clerical error in the day or month of birth or the recorded sex. Consult the PSA’s current administrative-petition guidance, Republic Act No. 9048, and Republic Act No. 10172.

These laws do not make every discrepancy an administrative correction. A change involving the year of birth, nationality, civil status, legitimacy or filiation, or another substantial or contested fact may require a different statute or a judicial proceeding. The proper remedy depends on the entry, the reason for the discrepancy, and the supporting records.

A petition is ordinarily filed with the civil registrar where the record is kept, although migrant-petitioner and consular procedures may apply. Current PSA guidance lists filing fees of ₱1,000 for a qualifying clerical correction and ₱3,000 for a change of first name or a correction covered by RA 10172, apart from possible migrant, publication, or local charges. Indigent petitioners may qualify for a fee exemption under the implementing rules.

For an RA 9048 petition, the statute requires posting for 10 consecutive days. The civil registrar must act not later than five working days after completion of the required posting or publication, and the Civil Registrar General has 10 working days from receipt to impugn an approved decision. These are statutory decision stages, not a guarantee that annotation and issuance of a new PSA copy will be completed within the same period.

After obtaining the annotated civil-registry record or final decision, give certified copies to the school and request correction of every affected academic record.

Use of a married name

Marriage does not necessarily make a school record issued under a maiden name erroneous. The record may correctly show the name used during enrollment or graduation. Ask the registrar whether it will reissue the document, annotate the record, or issue a certification connecting the two names. A PSA marriage certificate is commonly used to establish that link.

Wrong grade or academic standing

Separate a transcription or computation error from a challenge to academic judgment.

For a transcription or computation error, identify the subject, term, recorded grade, claimed correct grade, and supporting class record, approved grade sheet, or faculty certification. Use the school’s formal grade-correction process.

If the recorded grade matches the approved academic record, the Data Privacy Act does not create a right to substitute a preferred grade. An appeal must follow the institution’s academic-review rules. There is no single nationwide deadline for every grade appeal; school handbooks often impose short internal periods, so request the applicable policy immediately.

Duplicate or incorrect LRN

Do not ask another school to create a new LRN merely because the existing profile is wrong. Notify the current school of the duplicate or incorrect learner profile. Authorized school personnel must initiate the LIS correction, LRN correction, or deactivation process and obtain the required school-head or division approval. DepEd’s LIS support page identifies correction facilities for basic profiles, LRNs, grade levels, and transfer disputes.

Legal change of name or identity

Provide the final court order, civil-registrar decision, annotated PSA certificate, or other official instrument required for the particular change. Ask the school to state in writing whether it will reissue the credential or preserve the original name and issue a certification connecting the former and current identities.

If the school has closed or the records were destroyed

Closed or non-operating basic-education school

Contact the Schools Division Office covering the place where the school operated. Give the school’s complete name and former address, years attended, grade level, graduation year, LRN if known, and copies of any surviving records.

Under DepEd Order No. 48, s. 2017, the SDO may search records in its custody and process verification or certification. When primary records are lost or damaged, the order recognizes specified secondary evidence, which may include sworn statements from two classmates, principals, or teachers supported by graduation photographs, a souvenir program, or a yearbook; or certified school records found in a later educational institution.

Secondary evidence does not guarantee reconstruction of every subject and grade. The office may issue only the certification that the available and verifiable evidence supports.

Closed college or university

Contact the CHED Regional Office covering the institution’s former location. Ask who holds the student records and whether CHED accepts an individual application for records or CAV for the closed institution. Submit any surviving TOR, diploma, registration forms, receipts, student ID, graduation program, or official correspondence.

CHED’s regional procedures may differ according to who became the lawful records custodian. Do not pay a private “records fixer” without written confirmation from CHED that the person or organization is authorized.

CAV, eCAV, and Apostille are separate steps

Correction or replacement comes first. Authentication cannot cure a wrong name, grade, or graduation entry.

For basic-education records intended for foreign use, DepEd Order No. 48, s. 2017 establishes the school, division, and regional process for Certification, Authentication and Verification.

For higher-education records, CHED’s eCAV portal is the current digital gateway. Its documentary-requirements page identifies certified TORs, diplomas or graduation certificates, and other records required for the applicant’s category. The portal has announced full implementation of eCAV for CHED processing. CHED’s 2025 Citizen’s Charter lists a regional CAV fee and service period, but applicants should follow the current amount, deficiency notice, and release schedule displayed in eCAV because an incomplete or discrepant filing pauses or prevents approval.

For foreign use, confirm whether the destination requires an Apostille. DFA states that Apostille processing for CHED eCAVs is now conducted online as an electronic Apostille. Use the official DFA Apostille documentary requirements and application process. Basic-education records and other document types may follow a different DFA submission route.

Always ask the foreign school, employer, licensing authority, or embassy what it requires. A CAV or Apostille authenticates the official chain of signatures or seals; it does not guarantee acceptance, academic equivalence, or recognition of the qualification abroad.

TESDA records and certificates

Request a lost Certificate of Training from the training institution that issued it. For a TESDA National Certificate or Certificate of Competency, contact the appropriate TESDA Provincial or District Office and check the current TESDA Citizen’s Charter.

Under TESDA’s published 2025 charter:

replacement of a valid lost NC or COC requires a request letter, notarized affidavit of loss, and the prescribed photograph;
correction of an erroneous NC or COC requires the original certificate, request letter, photograph, and the specified passport or birth-certificate evidence;
the published processing fee for these replacement services is ₱35; and
the stated processing time is five hours and five minutes for a complete application, excluding delays caused by deficiencies or unsuccessful verification.

A certificate that has expired may require renewal rather than replacement. Confirm the certificate’s validity and the current requirements with the responsible TESDA office before paying.

Fees, clearances, and unpaid obligations

A school may charge an authorized document, certification, mailing, or reproduction fee. Ask for the published schedule and an official receipt. A donation, PTA contribution, or undocumented “facilitation fee” should not be treated automatically as a lawful records fee.

For private basic-education schools, Section 128 of the Revised Manual of Regulations for Private Schools allows transfer credentials to be withheld for suspension, expulsion, unpaid financial obligations, or property responsibility. The credentials should be released once the obligation is settled or the penalty is lifted. If the alleged obligation is disputed:

Ask for an itemized statement and the contractual or regulatory basis.
Separate authorized tuition, fees, or unreturned property from voluntary contributions.
Tender any undisputed amount through an official payment channel.
Request the school’s written decision.
Escalate an unjustified refusal to the DepEd Schools Division or Regional Office.

Do not assume that this private-basic-education exception permits every school to withhold every type of document indefinitely. The exact document, education level, obligation, school rule, and regulatory provision matter.

What to do if the school delays or refuses

Send a formal follow-up. Cite the original request date and attach proof of complete submission and payment.
Ask for a written reason. Require the office to identify any missing document, lawful hold, records problem, or correction process.
Escalate internally. Write to the registrar, school head, records supervisor, president, or designated data protection officer.
Use the education regulator.
- For basic education, complain to the Schools Division Office, then the DepEd Regional Office if necessary.
- For higher education, contact the appropriate CHED Regional Office. CHED’s 2025 Citizen’s Charter describes its complaints process and asks for the respondent’s identity, a description of the incident, and supporting evidence.
- For TESDA credentials, use the provincial or district office and TESDA’s public-assistance process.
Use the proper accountability channel. For an unexplained government-office delay beyond its Citizen’s Charter, consider the Anti-Red Tape Authority. Republic Act No. 11032 requires government agencies to publish requirements, fees, responsible personnel, and processing periods in their Citizen’s Charters. See the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act.
Use the National Privacy Commission only for a genuine data-rights issue. An NPC complaint may be appropriate if a school unreasonably denies access to personal data, refuses to correct a proven inaccurate personal entry, or improperly discloses confidential records. It is not a substitute for a grade appeal, civil-registry petition, or education-regulatory dispute.

Evidence to preserve

Keep copies of:

the original erroneous, lost, or damaged credential;
all earlier and later versions of the record;
PSA and local civil-registry documents;
enrollment forms, report cards, class schedules, registration records, receipts, and student IDs;
graduation programs, yearbooks, photographs, and school publications;
request letters, emails, courier records, and acknowledgment receipts;
payment receipts and account statements;
school policies or handbook provisions relied upon;
screenshots of online status pages;
names, positions, dates, and summaries of conversations; and
any deadline notice from an employer, school, embassy, PRC, or foreign credential evaluator.

Send copies unless an office specifically requires the original for inspection. If you must surrender an original, obtain a signed inventory or receipt describing it.

Common mistakes to avoid

Asking DepEd or CHED Central Office for a record still held by an operating school.
Requesting “Form 137” when the receiving organization actually needs SF9, a TOR, a diploma, or CAV.
Hand-carrying SF10/Form 137 during an ordinary school transfer instead of letting the receiving school request it.
Filing only an affidavit without the authoritative documents needed to prove the correction.
Asking the school to follow an uncorrected birth certificate when the civil-registry entry itself is disputed.
Creating or using a second LRN instead of correcting the existing learner profile.
Treating a married name as proof that the maiden-name academic record was erroneous.
Requesting authentication before correcting discrepancies.
Paying a fixer or unofficial account.
Waiting until a visa, enrollment, employment, or licensure deadline is imminent.
Assuming the 30-day issuance rule guarantees completion of a separate civil-registry, grade-appeal, CAV, or court proceeding within 30 days.

When help is urgent

Seek immediate assistance from the school and regulator if:

a confirmed enrollment, licensure, employment, migration, or visa deadline is near;
the school has announced closure, insolvency, relocation, or destruction of records;
two schools are disputing custody or transfer of the learner’s record;
the learner has duplicate LRNs or conflicting identities;
a registrar alleges fraud, tampering, or falsification;
someone is demanding payment through an unofficial channel;
the school refuses to acknowledge a complete written request;
the 30-day statutory period has passed without issuance or a documented legal reason; or
the requested correction involves filiation, adoption, citizenship, civil status, year of birth, or another substantial civil-registry issue.

For a court-dependent civil-registry correction or a dispute with serious consequences, consult a Philippine lawyer. An indigent applicant may inquire with the Public Attorney’s Office about eligibility for legal assistance.

Frequently asked questions

Can I personally request my Form 137 or SF10?

For an ordinary transfer within basic education, the official permanent record is transferred school to school, and the learner or parent should not hand-carry it. For employment, scholarship, foreign study, or another personal purpose, request the appropriate certified record or certification from the school or through the applicable SDO process.

How long should a school take to issue records?

The Education Act states within 30 days from request for official certificates, diplomas, transcripts, grades, transfer credentials, and similar documents. Separate correction, civil-registry, CAV, authentication, and academic-appeal proceedings have their own requirements and timelines.

Can my parent request my college records?

A parent has statutory access to records of a child under parental responsibility. For an adult student, the school may require the student’s written authorization because the records are confidential personal data.

Can a representative claim my records?

Usually yes, if the institution permits it and the representative presents the required authorization or SPA, copies or originals of the prescribed IDs, and any proof of relationship. Requirements are stricter for sensitive records, overseas use, or a document belonging to a minor.

Can the school correct my grade under the Data Privacy Act?

Only if the personal data is inaccurate. A transcription, encoding, or computation error may be corrected after verification. The law does not require the school to replace a validly determined academic grade simply because the student disagrees with it.

I lost my diploma. Am I entitled to an identical replacement?

You may request an official replacement, certified copy, or certification of graduation. The available output depends on the institution’s records, security controls, and policy. A school may certify graduation even when it cannot recreate the original diploma design.

My diploma uses my maiden name. Must the school reissue it in my married name?

Not necessarily. The original record may accurately reflect the name used during graduation. The registrar may instead issue a certification linking the maiden and married names, supported by the marriage certificate.

What if the old school says it no longer has Form 137?

Ask the Schools Division Office to locate records in its custody and determine whether SF5, a certification, or authorized secondary evidence can be used. Do not fabricate or privately reconstruct an “official” Form 137.

What if my college closed?

Contact the CHED Regional Office where the college operated. Ask who has custody of the records and whether the request should be filed with CHED, a successor institution, or another authorized custodian.

Do I need CAV for local employment?

Not automatically. Obtain CAV only if the employer, regulator, foreign authority, or receiving institution requires it. An ordinary certified TOR or diploma may be sufficient for many local purposes.

Does an Apostille prove that my degree is valid abroad?

No. It authenticates the relevant Philippine official signature or seal. The foreign employer, school, licensing body, or credential evaluator still decides whether to accept or recognize the qualification.

Official sources

This article provides general legal information, not legal advice for a particular dispute. Requirements may vary according to the document, school, regulator, civil-registry entry, and intended use. Official sources and procedures were checked as of July 23, 2026.