The collector contacted my child's school / my landlord — can they do that?

Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Educational content; not legal advice.

Short answer

No. Third parties who never co-signed your loan — your child's school or teachers, your landlord, your neighbors — cannot be contacted about your debt, and disclosing it to them is an unfair debt-collection practice under SEC Memorandum Circular 18 (2019) and an unauthorized disclosure of your personal data under RA 10173. The only person a collector may lawfully deal with about the loan, other than you, is someone you formally named as a co-maker or guarantor. Reaching your child's school or your landlord to pressure or embarrass you is exactly the kind of third-party contact the rule forbids. Note who was contacted, when, and what was said, then file with the SEC and the National Privacy Commission.

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Frequently asked

They called my child's school to embarrass me — is that allowed?

No. A school, teacher, or principal is a third party who never co-signed your loan. Contacting them about your debt is an unfair practice under SEC MC 18 and an unauthorized disclosure under RA 10173.

My landlord was told I have an unpaid loan — what can I do?

Note the date, who was told, and what was said. Disclosing your debt to your landlord is an unfair practice and a data-privacy disclosure; file with the SEC and the NPC, and you may also have a civil claim for damages.

Who is the ONLY third party they can contact?

Only a person you formally named as a co-maker or guarantor. Everyone else — school, landlord, neighbors, friends — is off-limits for debt collection under SEC MC 18.