Affidavit of Undertaking (Philippines) — Sample and Free Generator

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
CITY OF [CEBU CITY] ) S.S.
x----------------------------------------x

AFFIDAVIT OF UNDERTAKING

I, [MARIA L. SANTOS], of legal age, married, Filipino, and a resident of [45 Osmeña Boulevard, Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City], after having been duly sworn in accordance with law, hereby depose and state that:

1. I am [the mother and legal guardian of JOSE L. SANTOS, a minor, who is enrolled in Grade 8 at Cebu East High School for School Year 2026–2027];

2. As of this date I have not been able to submit [the Form 137 and Certificate of Good Moral Character of my son from his previous school, Bacolod North High School], because [the said school has advised that the records are still being retrieved from its archives];

3. I hereby undertake and bind myself to submit the said document[s] to [the Office of the Registrar of Cebu East High School] on or before [30 November 2026];

4. Should I fail to submit the said document[s] within the period stated above, I fully understand and accept that [the enrolment of my son may be considered provisional and that the school may withhold his report card and credentials until the requirement is complied with];

5. I am executing this affidavit freely and voluntarily to attest to the truth of the foregoing and to formalise the undertaking stated herein.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ____ day of __________, 20____, at [Cebu City], Philippines.

                                        ______________________________
                                        [MARIA L. SANTOS]
                                        Affiant

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this ____ day of __________, 20____, at [Cebu City], affiant exhibiting to me [her PhilSys ID No. 1234-5678-9012] as competent evidence of identity.

                                        ______________________________
                                        Notary Public

Doc. No. ______;
Page No. ______;
Book No. ______;
Series of 20____.

What an affidavit of undertaking is for

An affidavit of undertaking converts a promise into a sworn, dated, written commitment. Offices ask for one when they are willing to let you proceed now even though a requirement is missing, but want something on file that fixes what you will do, by when, and what happens if you do not. It is the paperwork equivalent of 'we will let this through on your word — put your word in writing, under oath.'

It is not a contract between two parties and it does not create a debt. It is a one-sided declaration. Its force comes from two places: the perjury exposure if the facts you swore to were false, and the consequence you yourself accepted in the document — usually that the transaction is treated as provisional until you comply.

The four things every undertaking must contain

Common situations that call for one

How to word the obligation so it is actually enforceable

Vague undertakings get accepted at the counter and then cause a fight later. Compare: 'I undertake to submit the requirements as soon as possible' against 'I undertake to submit the original Form 137 of Jose L. Santos, issued by Bacolod North High School, to the Office of the Registrar of Cebu East High School, on or before 30 November 2026.' The second names the document, the issuer, the recipient office and the date. Write the second kind.

The same goes for the consequence clause. 'I will be liable' means little. 'I accept that the enrolment shall be treated as provisional and that credentials may be withheld until compliance' tells everyone exactly what happens.

How long an undertaking stays live

An affidavit of undertaking has no expiry date of its own — it lives until the deadline inside it passes, and then it either has been complied with or it has not. That is different from most other affidavits, where offices apply a three-to-six-month freshness rule. Here, the operative date is the one you wrote into the promise.

Two practical consequences follow. First, keep a copy: when you eventually submit the missing document, the receiving office will want to close the file against the undertaking, and they will ask for it. Second, get a receiving copy stamped and dated by the office when you hand it in. An undertaking that the office cannot find later is treated as one that was never filed, and the transaction it supported can be unwound.

1. 1

   Print three copies — do not sign them yet

   A notary public must see you sign. Signing at home and bringing it in defeats the jurat, and a careful notary will make you sign again in front of them.

2. 2

   Bring a competent evidence of identity

   Under the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice, that means at least one current government-issued ID bearing your photograph and signature — passport, driver's licence, PhilSys ID, UMID, PRC, postal ID, voter's ID. A company ID or a photocopy is not enough. If you have none, two credible witnesses who personally know you and who themselves have IDs can identify you.

3. 3

   Sign in front of the notary and take the oath

   You will be asked to swear that the contents are true of your own knowledge. The notary then completes the jurat, stamps the document, and records it in the notarial register.

4. 4

   Check the notarial details before you leave

   The jurat should carry the date, the place, your ID, the notary's name, commission number and expiry, PTR and IBP numbers, roll number, and the Doc. No. / Page No. / Book No. / Series entries. An office will reject an affidavit with a blank Doc. No.

What if…

1. 1

   …you cannot meet the deadline you swore to

   Go back to the office before the date passes and ask to execute a fresh undertaking with a new date, explaining the reason. That is ordinary practice. Letting the date pass silently is what causes the consequence clause to bite.

2. 2

   …the office wants you to undertake something unreasonable

   You are entitled to negotiate the wording. Ask them to show you the rule or issuance that requires it. Do not sign an undertaking accepting a penalty that is not in any regulation.

3. 3

   …they ask for a guarantor or co-signer

   That is a different document — a guaranty or a surety — and it creates real liability for the co-signer. Do not treat it as a formality, and have the co-signer read it.