Quick answer

Start with the school or institution that created the record. Ask its registrar or designated records custodian, in writing, for either:

A certified copy or replacement of the credential;
Correction of a purely clerical error in the school record; or
Written instructions for a correction requiring approval by DepEd, CHED, TESDA, a civil registrar, or a court.

For basic education, request records from the school of origin. A receiving school ordinarily requests the learner’s permanent record—School Form 10 or SF10, formerly Form 137—through official school-to-school channels. Parents and learners generally should not hand-carry the permanent record during a transfer.

For college or graduate-school records, apply to the higher education institution’s registrar. For a closed school, contact the DepEd Schools Division Office if it was a basic-education school, or the appropriate CHED Regional Office if it was a higher education institution.

A school can correct an obvious encoding or transcription mistake when the supporting official records establish the correct entry. It cannot simply rewrite a disputed grade, identity, date of birth, civil status, or other substantive fact. If the error originates in the civil registry, correct or annotate the PSA civil-registry record first and then ask the school to align its records.

Identify exactly what you need

“School records” can mean different documents. Name the document and its intended use in your request:

SF9, formerly Form 138, or report card;
SF10, formerly Form 137, or permanent academic record;
Transcript of Records (TOR);
Diploma or certificate of graduation or completion;
Certification of enrollment, attendance, units earned, or graduation;
Certificate of Good Moral Character;
Special Order or graduation-related certification, where applicable;
Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV);
TESDA National Certificate (NC) or Certificate of Competency (COC); or
A corrected or reconstructed credential.

Also state whether the recipient requires an ordinary copy, a certified true copy, a sealed record sent directly by the school, CAV, or a document for use abroad. These are not interchangeable.

How to obtain basic-education records

If the school is operating

Contact the registrar, school head, or designated records custodian of the school that issued the record. Provide:

The learner’s complete name used while enrolled;
Learner Reference Number, if known;
Date of birth;
Grade level, school year, and date of graduation or last attendance;
The precise record requested and number of copies;
Purpose and deadline;
A valid ID; and
If applicable, proof that the requester is the learner’s parent, guardian, or authorized representative.

For an adult learner, the school may require the learner’s written authorization before releasing records to another person. For a minor, the school may verify parental authority or guardianship. An authorized representative may be asked for an authorization letter or Special Power of Attorney and the IDs of both parties.

For a transfer, ask the receiving school to initiate the request for the permanent record. DepEd’s current practice uses the Learner Information System where applicable, and official guidance emphasizes that transfer records should move securely between schools rather than be hand-carried by the learner or parent. DepEd identifies SF10 as the learner’s permanent academic record and publishes current school-form resources through its Learner Information System support page.

If the private basic-education school has closed

Contact the Schools Division Office covering the school’s former location. Closed private schools are expected to turn over learner records, including permanent records and unclaimed credentials, to the appropriate education authority. The SDO can issue or facilitate records only if the necessary files were actually turned over and can be located.

Give the SDO the former school’s complete name and address, the years attended, grade level or graduation year, and any old copies in your possession. DepEd’s citizen-charter service for closed schools expressly covers the issuance of available academic records for former learners and graduates, including records needed for CAV. See, for example, DepEd’s official description of the issuance process for records of closed private basic-education schools.

If the record cannot be located, request a written certification of the search made or the unavailability of the record. Ask what secondary evidence may be accepted for reconstruction or verification. Old report cards, enrollment receipts, school IDs, class lists, yearbooks, certificates, correspondence, and copies previously submitted to another institution may help, but they do not automatically replace an official permanent record.

How to obtain college or graduate-school credentials

Apply first to the registrar of the college or university that maintained the record. Follow its documented clearance, identity-verification, payment, and release procedures. Specify whether the TOR must be:

For personal use;
Marked “for board examination” or for another stated purpose;
Sent directly to another institution;
Placed in a sealed envelope;
Certified as a true copy; or
Submitted for CHED CAV.

For CAV, current requirements generally begin with records certified by the institution’s registrar. CHED’s electronic CAV system lists a certified true copy of the Official Transcript of Records and a certified diploma or certificate of graduation among its documentary requirements. Check the current instructions at the CHED eCAV portal and its documentary-requirements page.

Procedures can differ for state universities and colleges, local universities, and private higher education institutions. Use the institution’s current Citizen’s Charter or registrar instructions rather than relying on an old checklist.

If the college or university has closed

Contact the CHED Regional Office covering the institution’s former location. Ask:

Whether CHED has the student records;
Whether another institution was designated as records custodian;
Where to request a TOR, diploma certification, or units-earned certification; and
How to apply for CAV if required.

CHED’s regional procedures permit individual CAV applications involving closed higher education institutions, subject to the regional office’s documentary requirements. Those requirements may include a notarized request, available original credentials, proof of payment, identity documents, and authorization documents for a representative. Use CHED’s regional-office directory to locate the proper office.

How to correct a name, birth date, sex entry, or other personal information

First compare all relevant documents:

The school record;
The PSA-issued birth certificate or other civil-registry document;
Earlier school records;
Passport and government IDs;
Marriage certificate, if the requested update concerns a married name;
Court order or civil-registrar decision, if any; and
Any prior school resolution or certification.

When the civil-registry record is correct

If the school alone made an obvious typographical or transcription error, submit a written correction request to the school. For DepEd records, the school may endorse the matter to the SDO or Regional Office under the applicable Citizen’s Charter.

The exact checklist varies by office, but DepEd offices commonly require:

The school record containing the error;
A school-head or registrar endorsement;
A recent PSA birth certificate;
A valid ID;
An affidavit explaining the discrepancy;
In some cases, affidavits of two disinterested persons; and
Authorization and identification documents if filed through a representative.

DepEd’s correction service is intended for errors that are genuinely typographical and can be established from reliable documents. An official 2026 Citizen’s Charter describes it as a remedy for graduates whose scholastic records contain purely typographical errors capable of correction through an administrative resolution. Consult the current charter of the particular SDO or Regional Office because routing, forms, fees, and processing times are office-specific.

When the civil-registry record is also wrong

The school ordinarily should not be asked to contradict the controlling civil-registry record. Determine the correct legal remedy first:

Under Republic Act No. 9048, a city or municipal civil registrar—or a Philippine consul for records within consular authority—may administratively correct qualifying clerical or typographical errors and may act on certain changes of first name or nickname.
Republic Act No. 10172 extended the administrative process to a patently clerical error in the day or month of birth or in the recorded sex. It does not authorize an administrative change of the birth year or a correction that would alter nationality, age, civil status, filiation, or another substantial matter.
A substantial or genuinely disputed correction may require an adversarial court proceeding under Rule 108 of the Rules of Court or, for a legal change of name outside the administrative remedy, the appropriate proceeding under Rule 103.

The Supreme Court has directed parties to use the administrative remedy under RA 9048, as amended, when the requested change falls within that law before resorting to court. It has also stressed that substantial or controversial alterations require proper adversarial proceedings with affected parties given due process. See Silverio v. Republic, Republic v. Cagandahan-related discussion in G.R. No. 243288, and the Court’s explanation of substantial corrections in G.R. No. 211435.

After the civil-registry correction is approved, obtain the annotated or corrected PSA record and submit it, together with the final civil-registrar decision or court order when required, to every school or agency holding the inconsistent information. Ask that related systems, permanent records, transcripts, diplomas, and certifications be addressed—not merely the school’s current enrollment database.

Married names and lawful name changes

A marriage does not erase the person’s educational history. Schools may preserve the name under which the credential was earned while adding an annotation, cross-reference, or certification connecting it to the person’s current lawful name. Ask the registrar what format its governing rules permit.

Submit the PSA marriage certificate and current ID. If the change rests on a court judgment, civil-registrar decision, adoption, recognition, annulment, or another legal event, provide the final and annotated official documents. The exact effect depends on those documents; a school should not infer a legal status from an affidavit alone.

Grade, subject, attendance, and graduation disputes

A request to change a grade or establish completion of a subject is not merely a spelling correction. The Data Privacy Act does not require a school to replace a valid academic judgment simply because the student disagrees with it.

Use the institution’s grade-review, grievance, or records-correction procedure. Request the basis of the entry and identify the specific inconsistency, such as:

A grade sheet that differs from the TOR;
A posted grade that differs from the instructor’s signed submission;
A credited subject omitted from the curriculum evaluation;
An incorrect number of units;
Attendance attributed to the wrong student; or
A graduation status inconsistent with an approved completion record.

Attach objective evidence. If the dispute concerns academic judgment rather than data entry, observe the school’s appeal procedure and deadline. Ask for the applicable handbook provision and a written decision. Do not alter screenshots, forms, or faculty communications.

Lost or damaged diplomas and credentials

Ask the issuing institution whether it provides:

A duplicate or replacement diploma;
A reconstructed diploma;
A certification of graduation in place of a diploma;
A certified true copy from its retained record; or
A TOR bearing the necessary graduation notation.

Expect identity verification and, depending on the institution, the damaged original or an affidavit of loss. Do not assume that every school must reproduce the original design or obtain the signatures of former officials. A certification of graduation may be the available official substitute.

For a lost, damaged, or erroneous TESDA NC or COC, apply to the TESDA office that issued it. TESDA’s official procedure requires a letter request and:

For a lost certificate: a notarized affidavit of loss and one colored passport-size photograph;
For a damaged certificate: the original NC or COC and one colored passport-size photograph; or
For an erroneous entry: the original certificate, one colored passport-size photograph, and a certified photocopy of the passport or birth certificate.

TESDA states that release is directly to the applicant; a representative must present a Special Power of Attorney. Check the current TESDA replacement and correction procedure before filing.

CAV, Apostille, and overseas use

CAV is an education-sector certification and verification process. It is not the same as a DFA Apostille, and neither process corrects an inaccurate underlying record.

For basic-education records, begin with the school of origin and follow the applicable DepEd CAV process under DepEd Order No. 48, series of 2017. Records available at school level must ordinarily be processed and certified there before the proper DepEd office authenticates or verifies them.

For higher-education records, follow the institution-to-CHED process shown in the CHED eCAV system. If the document will be used abroad, confirm directly with the receiving foreign school, employer, licensing body, or embassy whether it requires CAV, a DFA Apostille, consular legalization, direct electronic verification, or some combination. Requirements depend on the destination country and recipient.

Never open a sealed envelope if the recipient requires it to remain sealed.

Your access and correction rights

School records contain personal information, and educational information is treated as sensitive personal information under the Data Privacy Act of 2012. Subject to identity verification and lawful limitations, a learner has rights of reasonable access and rectification.

The National Privacy Commission explains that a data subject may dispute inaccurate personal data and require correction within a reasonable period. The implementing rules qualify this right where a request is vexatious or otherwise unreasonable and recognize that lawful recordkeeping requirements remain applicable. Review the NPC’s guidance on the right to rectify and the rights of data subjects.

Privacy is not a valid reason for a school to ignore a reasonable request from the learner or, for a minor, a verified parent or legal guardian. It is, however, a valid reason to verify identity, restrict disclosure to unauthorized relatives or third parties, redact information about other persons, and use secure release channels.

Unpaid tuition and withheld credentials

Do not assume that a school must release every credential despite an unpaid balance. The No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act, Republic Act No. 11984, protects qualifying disadvantaged students in relation to examinations, subject to its conditions. It expressly preserves an educational institution’s authority to withhold records and credentials for unpaid fees and to use lawful collection remedies. Institutions may voluntarily release relevant records under their policies.

If records are being withheld:

Request a written statement of account and the specific policy relied upon.
Check for posting errors, scholarships, payments, waivers, or disputed charges.
Propose a documented payment arrangement or promissory note.
Ask whether the school can send a limited certification directly to an employer, licensing body, or receiving institution.
Escalate an unresolved basic-education concern to the SDO, or a higher-education concern to the proper CHED Regional Office.

A withholding policy does not authorize falsifying, destroying, or indefinitely refusing to account for the existence of a learner’s records.

A practical written-request checklist

Send a dated letter or email containing:

Your complete current name and the name used in school;
Date of birth and learner or student number, if known;
Program, grade level, campus, and years attended;
Exact document or entry involved;
The existing entry and requested entry, written side by side;
A short factual explanation;
The legal or official supporting document;
Intended use and any genuine deadline;
Preferred secure release method;
Contact details; and
A request for a written acknowledgment, reference number, requirements, fees, and expected completion date.

Submit clear copies but keep the originals unless the office formally requires surrender. When an original must be submitted, obtain a receipt describing it.

Evidence to preserve

Keep:

The original incorrect or damaged credential;
Clear scans of every page, seal, annotation, and envelope;
PSA civil-registry documents and official receipts;
Registrar certifications and endorsements;
Grade sheets, evaluation forms, report cards, and enrollment records;
Payment receipts and account statements;
Emails, letters, ticket numbers, and delivery confirmations;
Screenshots showing the error, with the date and system visible;
Names and positions of personnel contacted; and
Every written approval, denial, resolution, or instruction.

Use truthful, unaltered documents. Submitting a fabricated affidavit, edited credential, or fraudulent duplicate can create administrative and criminal exposure.

Common mistakes

Asking DepEd or CHED for a record before approaching the school that created it;
Requesting “all records” without identifying the exact document and purpose;
Treating SF9 and SF10 as the same record;
Hand-carrying a permanent transfer record when official school-to-school transmission is required;
Asking the school to contradict an uncorrected PSA record;
Using an affidavit of discrepancy as if it automatically changes legal identity;
Assuming the Data Privacy Act compels alteration of a disputed grade;
Applying for CAV before correcting the underlying credential;
Opening a sealed record;
Relying only on verbal promises; or
Missing an institutional appeal or application deadline while waiting for an informal response.

When help is urgent

Seek prompt assistance from the school head, registrar, SDO, CHED Regional Office, TESDA office, or a Philippine lawyer when:

A licensure, admission, employment, immigration, or scholarship deadline is near;
The school has closed and no records custodian can be found;
Records appear lost, destroyed, fabricated, or altered;
The requested correction affects citizenship, filiation, legitimacy, civil status, adoption, age, or another substantial legal matter;
Different civil-registry records conflict;
A court order may be required;
The institution refuses to give a written reason or applicable procedure;
Someone obtained or disclosed the records without authority; or
The error may cause mistaken identity, denial of benefits, or immigration consequences.

For a privacy-rights issue, first write to the institution’s Data Protection Officer and preserve the request and response. If the issue remains unresolved, consult the NPC’s official complaint guidance. A privacy complaint is not a substitute for the proper academic appeal, civil-registry petition, or court proceeding.

Frequently asked questions

Can I personally request my Form 137 or SF10?

You may ask the school about access or copies, but for a transfer the permanent record is ordinarily requested and transmitted through official school-to-school channels. The school may instead give you an SF9, certification, or another permitted document.

Can a parent obtain an adult child’s records?

Not automatically. The school may require the adult learner’s written authorization and identity documents. Different rules apply to a verified parent or legal guardian acting for a minor.

Is a PSA birth certificate enough to change every school record?

Not always. It is strong evidence, but the school may require an endorsement and an SDO or Regional Office resolution. If the requested change is inconsistent with the PSA record or legally substantial, a civil-registrar decision or final court order may be necessary.

Can the school simply issue a new diploma after a name change?

It depends on the institution’s rules and the legal documents. The institution may issue a replacement, annotation, certification linking the former and current names, or a graduation certification instead of reissuing the original diploma.

What if the school says the record no longer exists?

Ask for a documented search and written certification of nonavailability. For a closed basic-education school, contact the SDO; for a closed higher education institution, contact the CHED Regional Office. Submit any authentic copies that may help locate, verify, or reconstruct the record.

How long should processing take?

There is no single nationwide period for every credential or correction. Processing depends on the document, institution, archive search, required approval, and whether the request is complete. Government offices publish service standards in their current Citizen’s Charters. Obtain the applicable standard and reference number when filing.

Can unpaid tuition prevent release of a TOR or diploma?

It may. RA 11984 expressly preserves an institution’s authority to withhold records and credentials for unpaid fees, although voluntary release or an arrangement may be available under school policy.

Does CAV prove that every statement in a record is substantively correct?

No. CAV confirms the certification, authenticity, or verifiability of an issued education record under the applicable process. It does not resolve an identity dispute, reverse a grade, or cure false underlying information.

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal advice. Requirements and outcomes depend on the institution, record, documents, and facts. Official sources and procedures were checked as of August 26, 2026; confirm the current Citizen’s Charter and filing instructions of the specific school or government office before submitting a request.