University of the City of Manila
Encyclopedia
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, or the University of the City of Manila (PLM), is a municipal government-funded, tuition-free, university within the district of Intramuros
in Manila
, the Philippines
. It was established on June 19, 1965 and opened on July 17, 1967 to 556 scholars, all coming from the top ten percent of graduates of Manila's public high schools.
PLM holds the distinction of being the first tertiary-level institution in the country to offer tuition-free education; the first university funded solely by a city government; and, the first institution of higher learning in the country to have its official name in Filipino
.
From its first enrollment record of 556 freshman scholars coming from the top ten percent of the graduating classes of Manila's twenty-nine public high schools, total semestral enrollment has grown to an average of 10,000. The lone college in its earliest beginning has sprung to 12 colleges, seven graduate, two professional schools, and a score of research and specialized centers, including a teaching hospital, an entrepreneurial center, and an integrated learning center for toddlers. In addition, it maintains a comprehensive distance education and open university program for thousands of community health workers and public administrators in different regions nationwide, with affiliations and recognition from various national and international organizations and institutions.
Based on a study using cumulative data from 1999 to 2003 showed that during the said period PLM was among the top five schools nationwide in terms of board exam passing rate. In the same study, it was one among three public universities in the top ten category.
. Each member serves a six-year tenure of office. The president oversees the implementation of the university policies.
Immediately under the president are the offices of four vice presidents — executive vice president, vice president for Academic Affairs, vice president for Administration, and vice president for Finance and Planning.
The university is organized into 12 undergraduate colleges, two professional schools, seven graduate schools, and an open university and distance learning program, which are all supervised by the executive vice president. These academic units collectively provide 53 single-degree undergraduate and 49 masters, doctoral and graduate diploma programs.
The Arts and Sciences degree programs at the undergraduate level are conferred through the College of Accountancy & Economics, the College of Architecture & Urban Planning, the College of Engineering & Technology, the College of Human Development, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Management & Entrepreneurship, the College of Mass Communication, the College of Nursing, the College of Physical Education, Recreation & Sports, the College of Physical Therapy, the College of Science, and the College of Tourism, Hotel & Travel Industry Management. Postgraduate studies are being administered through the open university and distance learning program, the College of Law, the College of Medicine, and the six graduate schools, including the Emeritus College, the Graduate School of Arts, Sciences & Education, the Graduate School of Health Sciences, the Graduate School of Engineering, the Graduate School of Law, the Graduate School of Management, and the President Ramon Magsaysay
Graduate School of Public Governance.
PLM is the tenth largest university in Metro Manila
with a total student enrollment of 13,711 (as of January 20, 2006). For the undergraduate class of 2006-2007, PLM received 40,000 college applications, and accepted 3% of them. While admittance to the undergraduate colleges are exclusive for Manila residents, non-residents who have graduated either as Salutatorian or Valedictorian are privileged to take the PLM Admission Test and eventually qualify as freshmen. As for the professional (law and medicine) and graduate schools, no specific residency requirements are imposed. Full scholarship is entitled for Manila residents, while minimal fees are charged for non-residents. Other scholarships are available in the university, with funding coming from alumni donations, the government, and the private sector.
PLM's endowment in 2008 was valued at PhP
500 million, excluding budgetary allocation for its chief teaching hospital, the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center
, which was about PhP
250 million. The University spends about four to fives times the national average for education
.
PLM uses a semester-based modular system for conducting courses, adopts features of the American credit
system, and employs the General Weighted Average
(GWA) system and a 1.00 to 5.00 grading scale.
Except from the graduate schools of Engineering, Law and Management, which have trimestral calendar, most of the colleges and schools of PLM consist of two regular semesters of about 15 to 16 weeks each, and semestral breaks of about three to four weeks. At the undergraduate level, the university requires a minimum of 12 units to be considered a full-time student, with the maximum being 20 units.
As one of the participating schools of medicine in "Bagong Doktor para sa Bayan (New Doctor for the Nation)" of the national government, the College of Medicine makes sure that medical interns are stationed for months in far-flung barangays to immerse themselves and apply community dynamics, family medicine theories, and appropriate technologies with the people of the community.
Students in the College of Nursing render service to 44 city-run health centers as part of their community health nursing internship. Senior students live with people in the rural areas for eight weeks and implement several socio-civic and health projects. Although they are not required of service contracts, they are encouraged to render service to the country first before going abroad.
Physical therapy students in their last year in college are required to apply their learnings in various settings, including rehabilitation centers in marginalized communities. As for the faculty members and students of the College of Human Development, they visit communities in Manila and assist in conducting activities such as teaching preschoolers in the city's barangay day care centers and tutoring out-of-school children through its alliance with the Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation, which is the oldest non-government institution in the country that prevent impoverished children from being school dropouts. Similar activities are undertaken by the colleges that take on different approaches as in holding outreach programs in their field work, off-campus activities and on-the-job trainings or practicum.
In 2009, PLM launched the Alternative Learning Program (ALP), which aims to provide a practical alternative to formal instruction, using both non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills.
The PLM communities have also joined the Caritas Manila
through Intramuros Consortium
Outreach and Environment Committee (ICOEC) in its dental and medical missions in various communities. In 1993, together with Tugon-RESCUE, the university's Community University Extension Services (CUES) continued with its outreach programs for the slum communities of Tondo. From 1999 up to present, PLM, in cooperation with the Shalom Club of the Philippines-Manila Chapter and the Rotary Club of the Philippines
, has been actively donating blood for the patients of the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, Ospital ng Tondo and Dr. Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center. Similar bloodletting campaigns were conducted by other organizations within PLM such as the "Patak-patak na Pagmamahal" by the PLM Samaritans, "Blood Rush" by the Brotherhood of Medical Scholars and the "Operation Lifeline" by the PLM ROTC Unit. In July 2010, Center for Community Extension Services (CUES) launched "Dugong Alay, Dugtong Buhay," a comprehensive university-wide voluntary blood donation program that has unified and streamlined the various bloodletting undertakings previously rendered by different groups and organizations inside the campus.
and its own research division. Moreover, PLM is one of the four academic institutions that were chosen as member of the Metropolitan Manila Industry and Energy Research and Development Consortium (MMIERDC) of the Department of Science and Technology. Likewise, it is a member institution of the CHED Zonal Research Program for the National Capital Region
.
(CHED), there are attempts to rank schools based on performance in board exams conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission
(PRC). The PRC and CHED sometimes publish reports on these results.
Based on the study using cumulative data from 1994 to 1998, the PLM emerged sixth. For the ten-year period of 1992 to 2001, PLM placed ninth. In the study covering 1999-2003, the PLM placed fifth, making it one of only two public universities in the top five list.
No follow-up rankings were undertaken since the last. However, CHED executive director Julito Vitriol said in 2009 that they were in the process of establishing appropriate guidelines to rank universities and colleges for each specific academic program or discipline.
is situated used to be occupied by the Colegio de Manila (also known as Colegio Seminario de San Ignacio, later Universidad Maximo de San Ignacio, the first royal and pontifical university in the Philippines and in Asia), which was the first school in the Philippines. (Note: This is not the PLM of today). Aside from Colegio de Manila, there were other structures that were built on the site, such as Iglesia Santa Ana, the first stone church in the Philippines. Upon expulsion of the Jesuits from the Spanish Philippines, the buildings were transformed into military headquarters called Cuartel de Rey (also known as Cuartel de España),the same place where
José Rizal
was placed on trial for sedition here on December 26, 1896.
During the American occupation, the buildings and the whole premises served as military headquarters for the 31st Infantry of the United States Army until 1941. Its Quonset Gym held one of the first games of the NCAA
was played. In World War II
, General Douglas McArthur held command post here, but the entire area was later destroyed by the on-going military conflict.
In early 1960s, the site was rehabilitated by the city government and a building was constructed at General Luna Street to house the students of Manila High School. However, on April 24, 1965, the late President
Diosdado Macapagal
issued Proclamation 392-A, giving to the proposed city university the three-hectare lot being occupied by Manila High School. On February 26, 1967, the new complex along Victoria Street was inaugurated, and the students of Manila High School was transferred there. And, finally, on July 17, 1967, the first batch of PLM scholars began its academic pursuits in the site where the very roots of the modern educational system in the Philippines may be found.
when he approved Ordinance No. 4202 on January 13, 1960 which appropriated PhP
one million for the construction of the university. Lacson did not live to see the realization of his dream as he died of a heart attack. His successor, Vice Mayor Antonio de Jesus Villegas, pursued his plan.
On February 13, 1963, Villegas issued Executive Order No. 7 s-1963, creating a Planning and Working Committee to draw up a plan to establish a city university. The committee was chaired by Dr. Benito F. Reyes and the members were Gabriel Formoso, Leoncio Monzon, Alfredo Morales, Vicente Albano Pacis, Jose S. Roldan, Carlos Moran Sison, with Atty. Primitivo de Leon as its secretary.
Due to an impasse impending the legislature action of the city council to formally create the university, Villegas interceded for the help of then-Congressman Justo Albert of the fourth congressional district of the City of Manila to sponsor a bill in the Congress seeking to create the university which was passed by the House of Representative in 1964 as House Bill No. 8349. The Senate version of the bill was spearheaded by senators Gil Puyat
and Camilo Osias
, which was passed by the Philippine Senate in 1965. The consolidation of the two bills was tackled during the Fourth Session of the Fifth Congress, which began and was held in Manila on January 25, 1965. The consolidated bill was thereafter passed by the joint Congress and was signed by Senate President Ferdinand E. Marcos and House Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal with Regino S. Eustaquio, Secretary of the Senate, and Inocencio B. Pareja, Secretary of the House of Representatives.
Incidentally, during José Rizal
's birth anniversity on June 19, 1965, the final bill, An Act Authorizing the City of Manila to Establish and Operate the University of the City of Manila and for Other Purposes, was signed into law by President Diosdado P. Macapagal
, in a ceremony in Malacañan Palace
. The event was witnessed by Villegas, Congressman Ramon Mitra, Jr.
, de Leon, and its main sponsor in the House of Representatives, Congresman Justo Albert. The law was captioned as Republic Act No. 4196, which now serves as the university charter.
The Board of Regents, which is the governing body of the university, was formally organized in the same year as Villegas appointed the member thereof. The university regents were sworn into office during the historic day of January 9, 1967, and they conducted an election of officers on February 23, 1967. The members of the first Board of Regents were Atty. Carlos Moran Sison, chairman, Dr. Benito F. Reyes, vice chairman, Emilio Abello, Roman F. Lorenzo, Jose S. Roldan and Primo L. Tongko, members; Fructuoso R. Yanson served as an ex-officio member and Jose F. Sugay as its secretary. Reyes
was chosen as the PLM’s first president.
In 1967, PLM started with a liberal arts college and, about a year later, a graduate institute for teachers and an institute for extramural studies were formed. Reyes aggressively expanded the PLM's curriculum to include professional studies in arts and sciences, engineering, architecture, nursing, criminology, and government.
This period saw a surge in funds devoted for the university’s physical development. Many new facilities were built at the main campus, and the different departments, colleges and schools were restructured. The university fortified its research capabilities by establishing a number of research units and consortium agreements with other institutions to guide its academic research initiatives.
In 2000, the launching of Pamantasang Limbagan ng Maynila (PLM University Press), inauguration of the Development Center for Women Studies and Services, and the revival of the Manila Studies program under the new Sentro ng Araling Manileno were among the year's highlights.
From 2001 to 2003, the PLM Board of Regents aggressively expanded the PLM curriculum to include professional studies in tourism, hotel and travel industry management, and physical education and recreational sports, as well as, to support the separation of the Department of Architecture from the College of Engineering & Technology; dissection of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Public and Business Administration into new colleges - College of Mass Communication, College of Science, College of Liberal Arts, College of Accountancy & Economics, and College of Management & Entrepreneurship; and, merger of the departments of social work, education and psychology into the College of Human Development.
In 2001, Mayor Lito Atienza
authorized the opening of three district colleges under the city government's university system. In about the same time, the integrated learning center for toddlers
commenced through the initiative of the Center for University Extension Services (CUES). A year later, the PLM Open University increased its off-campus and distance learning programs to more qualified individuals throughout the country wishing to pursue higher education. Likewise, it installed a general education curriculum and visiting professors agreement with its sister-schools in Saudi Arabia
and Thailand
to allow Overseas Filipino
s to pursue their college education.
spearheaded the development and implementation of the English Proficiency Program in all schools being funded by the city government. A committee on the use of English was formed a week after the directive was passed, and it was headed by the then PLM President Benjamin Tayabas
. Aside from Tayabas, the other members of the committee were City Administrators Dino Nable, Secretary to the Mayor Emmanuel Sison, Chief of Staff Pia Sacro, Division of City Schools-Manila
Superintendent Ma. Luisa S. Quiñones, City College of Manila President Rodrigo Malunhao and Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology President Maura Bautista. A few weeks later, the English as a Second Language (ESL) Center was established at the PLM before the program's full implementation on September 1. Initially, the city's campaign was derided by some critics and groups, but later lauded and even followed by other institutions. Two years after, the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines began taking part in a massive English retooling effort among private and government schools in partnership with the Department of Education
.
In 2007, the President Ramon Magsaysay Entrepreneurial Center, and the University Activity Center were built through grants from the Philippine Congress. About two years later, two buildings namely, Gusaling Intramuros (Intramuros Hall) and Bahay Maynila (Executive Building) were added. During the same period, PLM allocated PhP
2-3 million for the establishment of a restaurant near Baluarte de San Diego Gardens, which is now being operated by the College of Tourism, Hotel & Travel Industry Management. Moreover, a proposal of setting up a hotel in a property owned by the city government was considered.
Through the leadership of Atty. Adel Tamano
, the administration aggressively pursued its allocation for book acquisition to beef up the collection of PLM libraries, and alloted PhP
5 million to purchase new books for 2008 alone. Aside from improving the physical environment and setup, Tamano also revolutionized some of the existing policies and instituted reforms at the PLM, such as the implementing of stricter admission and retention policies, providing of tenures of office for deans of each school, upgrading of the wage and non-wage benefits of employees, and enforcing of zero tolerance on corruption, such as placing measures that would keep bidding and contract-awarding transparent and open to scrutiny.
Towards the end of Tamano's presidency, the administration created an integrated communications network within the campus. Aside from restoring the PLM website and intensifying the university-wide Wi-Fi
access, the University partnered with Smart Communications
for the PLM School SIM and InfoBoard, which is a multi-module information medium and mobile gateway for the PLM community, as well as for the wireless engineering laboratory and operation GSM base station within the campus. It also collaborated with Microsoft
for the activation of the official PLM Live@edu
email address
and online learning tools for its stakeholders.
The PLM Administration conveyed its plan of building a city university system
that would embrace all districts of Manila, as well as to transform the main campus at Intramuros as a center for graduate studies and research, and include a science and technology institute and a polytechnic school in extension campuses. Likewise, they also expressed hope that the city government shall regain jurisdiction over Intramuros from the national government for it is proved to be vital for the proposed expansion plans for the PLM.
district. This three-hectare campus is centered around an open field, where the PLM Grandstand can be found.
Except for the Gusaling Arsenio Lacson (Arsenio Lacson Hall), all buildings inside the campus possess a 19th century or Hispanic architectural design. Moldings, window and door material, grillwork and paneling depict the details of the Bahay na Bato. The different buildings are either separate or interconnected with one another.
The University's academic and recreational facilities include an amphitheater, audiovisual rooms, an auditorium, campus-wide wireless fidelity facility, an entrepreneurial center, a fitness center, free Internet stations, a gymnasium, an integrated learning center for toddlers, library units, a physical therapy clinic, a university health service unit, a pride hall, a printing press, research and specialized centers, and science, communications, and engineering laboratories.
The University sponsors and implements a comprehensive student services program coordinated by the Office of Student Development and Services (OSDS). The President's Committee on Arts and Culture (PCAC) is responsible for building up the artistry and craft of the PLM students through its different cultural organizations, such as the Hiyas ng Maynilad Dance Troupe
, PLM Rondalla
, PLM Chorale, and the Mabuhay Marching Band. Marulaya
is the pioneer theater arts group of PLM created in 1998.
The PLM Activity Center is a venue for many events. Homecoming
coincides with various festivities to draw past students back to campus. The University hosts notable speakers each year, largely because of the success of the President Ramon Magsaysay School of Public Governance Lecture Series, the Dean's Lecture Series, and the Ramon Magsaysay Awardees' Lecture Series. These are frequently Ramon Magsaysay Award
ees who visit PLM while in the capital, as well as scholars, politicians, authors, and religious leaders. Different organizations, clubs, and research units host numerous symposia and fora on various issues and topics.
Concerts and variety shows are commonly held at the PLM Grandstand and Open Field as well as in the Justo Albert Auditorium. In the middle of 2008, the university grounds became a music hall and camp for the participants to the Opusfest, the international piano and chamber music festival. Master classes with interactive performances conducted by international concert artists were open to the PLM community. Before the end of 2009, PLM was one of the two Philippine educational institutions that participated in the 36th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSYEAP), a Japanese government-funded cultural exchange program that promotes friendship and mutual understanding among young people from Southeast Asia
n nations and Japan
.
The student government at PLM is the Supreme Student Council (SSC), governed by a student elected as president. Aside from the SSC, which acts as the central student government body within the PLM, there are college-based student councils as well. Traditionally, there are only 2 university-wide student political parties, namely Bukluran Party and Partidong Tugon, that annually participate in the student council elections. Tracing its roots from the former Sandigan Party, Bukluran was founded in 1995, while Tugon started in 1991 and AYOS! emerged in 2002. A longstanding goal of some members of the student government and political parties is to create a student designated seat on the Board of Regents, the university's governing body.
In 1979, seven years after its predecessor HASIK was padlocked following the declaration of Martial Law
, Ang Pamantasan
, the PLM's official university-wide student publication, was born. Through the years, the publication has faced censorship but it has stood up for campus press freedom and continued to serve as watchdog of the PLM community. There are also several administrative, university-wide, and college-based publications and academic journals being circulated at PLM.
The PLM community regularly organizes inter-university invitational games and dual meets in major sporting events, participates in the Manila Youth Games and Manila Marathon, conducts its very own Student Intramural Games, and participates in the Alculympics
, a sports organization composed of 18 local colleges and universities nationwide.
, Progress
, Greatness
," which are the University's guiding principles. The official song is entitled "Pamantasang Mahal
", translated as "Beloved University."
and light-blue. The golden-yellow signifies nobility, wealth and power; white signifies light, truth and faith; light-blue signifies brotherly love and peace red signifies patriotism, bravery and sacrifice; and green signifies hope.
Some notable PLMayers have served the Philippine government both at the national and local levels, such as Senator Ping Lacson, Bohol Congressman Edgar Chatto
, Manila Congressman Nestor Ponce, Jr., Samar Congressman Antonio Eduardo Nachura
, Sorsogon Congressman Jose Solis, Caloocan City Mayor Rey Malonzo, Manila City Vice-Mayor Isko Moreno
, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and former Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza
, among others.
In literature and journalism, PLM has produced two recipients of Carlos Palanca Awards, such as Manuel Buising
and Marlon Miguel
, as well as winners of journalism awards, including Jason Gutierrez (Asia Human Rights Press Awards by the Amnesty International
), and Paolo Joseph L. Lising (Jaime Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism) Other authors and media personalities include award-winning screenwriters and directors like Adolfo Alix, Jr.
, Roy Iglesias
, Florida M. Bautista
, Real Florido
, and StarStruck
creator Rommel Gacho; novelist Emeniano Acain Somoza, Jr.
; health communications specialist Dr. Fernado B. Perfas; journalists and columnists Atty. Berteni Causing, Willie Jose, Jun Nardo and Giovanni Paolo Yazon, TV reporter Julius Segovia, and TV host Mon Isberto.
In entertainment and television, PLM is represented by multi-awarded comedian Michael V.
, pop singer Aicelle Santos
, theater actor Cezarah Campos, praise music artist Anthony Cailao, action star Rey Malonzo, and drama actors Isko Moreno
and Robert Ortega. In the world of beauty pageant and modelling, PLM has April Tanhueco, April Love Jordan, and Maria Sovietskaya Bacud.
PLM alumni serving as CEO or holding key positions in companies include Wilma Galvante
(Senior Vice-President for Entertainment at GMA-7), Jerry Isla (Chairman and Senior Partner, Isla Lipana & Co.), Fe Tibayan-Palileo (Commissioner, Social Security System; Governor and Treasurer, Employers Confederation of the Philippines), Alvin M. Pinpin (Partner, Sycip, Gorres, Velayo & Co.
), Rolando G. Peña (President and CEO of Smart Broadband; Head of Network Services Division, Smart Communications
), Edith A. del Rosario (Assistant General Manager for Operations, RPN-9), Roberto del Rosario, (Vice President for Operations, IBC-13), Roberto Juanchito T. Dispo (Senior Vice President of First Metro Investment Corporation, a wholly owned Investment Bank subsidiary of Metrobank
),, Dr. Ricardo F. de Leon, Executive Vice President of Centro Escolar University
and former President of the Mindanao State University
, Director Nicanor A. Bartolome, Deputy Director-General of the Philippine National Police
, and others.
PLMayers in academia and research include business management guru Dr. Conrado E. Iñigo, Jr., nurse-educator and best-selling author Dr. Carlito Balita, Division of City Schools-Manila
Superintendent Dr. María Luisa Quiñones, immunology expert and first Filipino cosmonaut-doctor
Dr. Senen A. Reyes, and others.
's fictional persona in Mga Munting Tinig, and Nora Aunor
's role as Claudia in Care Home: The Movie. In 2007, the now-defunct teen-oriented show Click
put on a reality show dubbed as CLICK Barkada Hunt
, which involved the different love teams who had to undergo various challenges. In one of the challenges, they posed as professors of the PLM.
Intramuros
Intramuros is the oldest district in the present day city of Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Nicknamed the "Walled City", Intramuros is the historic fortified city of Manila, the seat ot the government during the Spanish Colonial Period. Its name in Latin, intramuros,...
in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It was established on June 19, 1965 and opened on July 17, 1967 to 556 scholars, all coming from the top ten percent of graduates of Manila's public high schools.
PLM holds the distinction of being the first tertiary-level institution in the country to offer tuition-free education; the first university funded solely by a city government; and, the first institution of higher learning in the country to have its official name in Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
.
From its first enrollment record of 556 freshman scholars coming from the top ten percent of the graduating classes of Manila's twenty-nine public high schools, total semestral enrollment has grown to an average of 10,000. The lone college in its earliest beginning has sprung to 12 colleges, seven graduate, two professional schools, and a score of research and specialized centers, including a teaching hospital, an entrepreneurial center, and an integrated learning center for toddlers. In addition, it maintains a comprehensive distance education and open university program for thousands of community health workers and public administrators in different regions nationwide, with affiliations and recognition from various national and international organizations and institutions.
Based on a study using cumulative data from 1999 to 2003 showed that during the said period PLM was among the top five schools nationwide in terms of board exam passing rate. In the same study, it was one among three public universities in the top ten category.
Academics and administration
As a chartered and autonomous university, PLM is governed by a Board of Regents and administered by a president. The Board of Regents, the highest decision-making body of PLM, has the authority to grant diplomas, certificates and titles to students who have completed their academic programs and validate graduation of students. The six-member Board is composed of the president of the PLM, a representative of the PLM faculty, a distinguished alumnus, a respected educator, one other respected professional, and the superintendent of the Division of City Schools-ManilaDivision of City Schools-Manila
The Division of City Schools - Manila or simply the DCS-Manila is a division under the supervision of the Department of Education. It also refers to the three-tier public education system in Manila, Philippines....
. Each member serves a six-year tenure of office. The president oversees the implementation of the university policies.
Immediately under the president are the offices of four vice presidents — executive vice president, vice president for Academic Affairs, vice president for Administration, and vice president for Finance and Planning.
| The Presidents of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila University of the City of Manila |
| Dr. Benito F. Reyes Benito F. Reyes Benito F. Reyes is a well-known Filipino academic and administrator. He was appointed as the first university president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila in 1967. When he moved to the United States in 1970s, Reyes founded the World University at Ojai, California.-Early life and career:Benito... , 23 February 1967 – 23 June 1972 |
| Dr. Consuelo L. Blanco, 21 December 1972 – 31 May 1978 |
| Dr. Ramon D. Bagatsing, 1 June 1978 – 27 October 1982 |
| Dr. Jose D. Villanueva, 14 January 1983 – 30 June 1989 |
| Dr. Benjamin G. Tayabas Benjamin Tayabas Benjamin G. Tayabas is a US-trained Filipino educator and administrator. He is the longest-serving university president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. He succeeded Dr. Jose D. Villanueva in 1989, Dr. Virsely M. dela Cruz in 2000, and Atty. Jose M. Roy III in 2006... , 1 July 1989 – 24 June 1996 |
| Dr. Virsely dela Cruz, 25 June 1996 – 30 April 1999 |
| Dr. Ma. Corazon T. Veridiano (Acting President), May 1999 - December 1999 |
| Atty. Emmanuel R. Sison (Officer-in-Charge), December 1999 - February 2000 |
| Dr. Benjamin G. Tayabas Benjamin Tayabas Benjamin G. Tayabas is a US-trained Filipino educator and administrator. He is the longest-serving university president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. He succeeded Dr. Jose D. Villanueva in 1989, Dr. Virsely M. dela Cruz in 2000, and Atty. Jose M. Roy III in 2006... , 24 February 2000 – 1 August 2007 |
| Atty. Jose M. Roy III, (Acting President) 23 February 2006 – 31 May 2006 |
| Atty. Adel A. Tamano Adel Tamano Adel Fadel Abbas Tamano is a Filipino lawyer and politician. He is the spokesperson of the United Opposition and also one of its candidates running for the position of Senator of the Philippines... , 4 August 2007 – 30 November 2009 |
| Atty. Rafaelito M. Garayblas (Officer-in-Charge), 1 December 2009–Present |
The university is organized into 12 undergraduate colleges, two professional schools, seven graduate schools, and an open university and distance learning program, which are all supervised by the executive vice president. These academic units collectively provide 53 single-degree undergraduate and 49 masters, doctoral and graduate diploma programs.
The Arts and Sciences degree programs at the undergraduate level are conferred through the College of Accountancy & Economics, the College of Architecture & Urban Planning, the College of Engineering & Technology, the College of Human Development, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Management & Entrepreneurship, the College of Mass Communication, the College of Nursing, the College of Physical Education, Recreation & Sports, the College of Physical Therapy, the College of Science, and the College of Tourism, Hotel & Travel Industry Management. Postgraduate studies are being administered through the open university and distance learning program, the College of Law, the College of Medicine, and the six graduate schools, including the Emeritus College, the Graduate School of Arts, Sciences & Education, the Graduate School of Health Sciences, the Graduate School of Engineering, the Graduate School of Law, the Graduate School of Management, and the President Ramon Magsaysay
Ramon Magsaysay
Ramón del Fierro Magsaysay was the third President of the Republic of the Philippines from December 30, 1953 until his death in a plane crash in 1957. He was elected President under the banner of the Nacionalista Party.-Early life:Ramon F...
Graduate School of Public Governance.
PLM is the tenth largest university in Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
with a total student enrollment of 13,711 (as of January 20, 2006). For the undergraduate class of 2006-2007, PLM received 40,000 college applications, and accepted 3% of them. While admittance to the undergraduate colleges are exclusive for Manila residents, non-residents who have graduated either as Salutatorian or Valedictorian are privileged to take the PLM Admission Test and eventually qualify as freshmen. As for the professional (law and medicine) and graduate schools, no specific residency requirements are imposed. Full scholarship is entitled for Manila residents, while minimal fees are charged for non-residents. Other scholarships are available in the university, with funding coming from alumni donations, the government, and the private sector.
PLM's endowment in 2008 was valued at PhP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
500 million, excluding budgetary allocation for its chief teaching hospital, the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center
Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center
The Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center is a 300-bed non-profit tertiary, general and training hospital in Malate, Manila, Philippines...
, which was about PhP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
250 million. The University spends about four to fives times the national average for education
Education in the Philippines
During the period of governance of Spain and the United States, education in the Philippines changed radically, mostly modeled on the system of education in the United States of the time...
.
PLM uses a semester-based modular system for conducting courses, adopts features of the American credit
Credit (education)
A course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution.- United States :...
system, and employs the General Weighted Average
General Weighted Average
The General Weighted Average is the average of grades in all subjects taken, whether passed or failed. It is the result of combining the performance rating based on the screening criteria or subject. It serves as the indicator of a student's academic performance in a given semester or school year....
(GWA) system and a 1.00 to 5.00 grading scale.
Except from the graduate schools of Engineering, Law and Management, which have trimestral calendar, most of the colleges and schools of PLM consist of two regular semesters of about 15 to 16 weeks each, and semestral breaks of about three to four weeks. At the undergraduate level, the university requires a minimum of 12 units to be considered a full-time student, with the maximum being 20 units.
Social involvement
Grounded in its commitment to the City of Manila and the whole country, PLM implements a framework of action that fosters a culture of service among its administrators, faculty and alumni dubbed as "Malasakit sa Kapwa, Malasakit sa Bansa," on which all curricular programs of the University are anchored.As one of the participating schools of medicine in "Bagong Doktor para sa Bayan (New Doctor for the Nation)" of the national government, the College of Medicine makes sure that medical interns are stationed for months in far-flung barangays to immerse themselves and apply community dynamics, family medicine theories, and appropriate technologies with the people of the community.
Students in the College of Nursing render service to 44 city-run health centers as part of their community health nursing internship. Senior students live with people in the rural areas for eight weeks and implement several socio-civic and health projects. Although they are not required of service contracts, they are encouraged to render service to the country first before going abroad.
Physical therapy students in their last year in college are required to apply their learnings in various settings, including rehabilitation centers in marginalized communities. As for the faculty members and students of the College of Human Development, they visit communities in Manila and assist in conducting activities such as teaching preschoolers in the city's barangay day care centers and tutoring out-of-school children through its alliance with the Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation, which is the oldest non-government institution in the country that prevent impoverished children from being school dropouts. Similar activities are undertaken by the colleges that take on different approaches as in holding outreach programs in their field work, off-campus activities and on-the-job trainings or practicum.
In 2009, PLM launched the Alternative Learning Program (ALP), which aims to provide a practical alternative to formal instruction, using both non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills.
The PLM communities have also joined the Caritas Manila
Caritas (charity)
Caritas Internationalis is a confederate of 164 Roman Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide....
through Intramuros Consortium
Intramuros Consortium
The Intramuros Consortium, established in 2002, is a non-profit, academic cooperation consisting of four prominent institutions of higher education located in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. The colleges' libraries participate in an interlibrary loan program, allowing students, staff, and faculty...
Outreach and Environment Committee (ICOEC) in its dental and medical missions in various communities. In 1993, together with Tugon-RESCUE, the university's Community University Extension Services (CUES) continued with its outreach programs for the slum communities of Tondo. From 1999 up to present, PLM, in cooperation with the Shalom Club of the Philippines-Manila Chapter and the Rotary Club of the Philippines
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
, has been actively donating blood for the patients of the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, Ospital ng Tondo and Dr. Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center. Similar bloodletting campaigns were conducted by other organizations within PLM such as the "Patak-patak na Pagmamahal" by the PLM Samaritans, "Blood Rush" by the Brotherhood of Medical Scholars and the "Operation Lifeline" by the PLM ROTC Unit. In July 2010, Center for Community Extension Services (CUES) launched "Dugong Alay, Dugtong Buhay," a comprehensive university-wide voluntary blood donation program that has unified and streamlined the various bloodletting undertakings previously rendered by different groups and organizations inside the campus.
Research and development
PLM conducts studies and research projects that aim to aid in policy-making and in the production of prototypes that can be useful to both the University and the industry through the Intramuros ConsortiumIntramuros Consortium
The Intramuros Consortium, established in 2002, is a non-profit, academic cooperation consisting of four prominent institutions of higher education located in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. The colleges' libraries participate in an interlibrary loan program, allowing students, staff, and faculty...
and its own research division. Moreover, PLM is one of the four academic institutions that were chosen as member of the Metropolitan Manila Industry and Energy Research and Development Consortium (MMIERDC) of the Department of Science and Technology. Likewise, it is a member institution of the CHED Zonal Research Program for the National Capital Region
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
.
Rankings
There are no set methods for ranking institutions in the Philippines. Aside from comparisons in terms of accreditation, autonomy, and centers of excellence awarded by the Commission on Higher EducationCommission on Higher Education (Philippines)
The Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines, , abbreviated as CHED. The CHED is attached to the Office of the President for administrative purposes...
(CHED), there are attempts to rank schools based on performance in board exams conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission
Professional Regulation Commission
The Professional Regulation Commission , otherwise known as the PRC, is a three-man commission attached to the office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines. Its mandate is to regulate and supervise the practice of the professionals who constitute the highly skilled manpower of the...
(PRC). The PRC and CHED sometimes publish reports on these results.
Based on the study using cumulative data from 1994 to 1998, the PLM emerged sixth. For the ten-year period of 1992 to 2001, PLM placed ninth. In the study covering 1999-2003, the PLM placed fifth, making it one of only two public universities in the top five list.
No follow-up rankings were undertaken since the last. However, CHED executive director Julito Vitriol said in 2009 that they were in the process of establishing appropriate guidelines to rank universities and colleges for each specific academic program or discipline.
Geographical history
The site where the PLM campus at IntramurosIntramuros
Intramuros is the oldest district in the present day city of Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Nicknamed the "Walled City", Intramuros is the historic fortified city of Manila, the seat ot the government during the Spanish Colonial Period. Its name in Latin, intramuros,...
is situated used to be occupied by the Colegio de Manila (also known as Colegio Seminario de San Ignacio, later Universidad Maximo de San Ignacio, the first royal and pontifical university in the Philippines and in Asia), which was the first school in the Philippines. (Note: This is not the PLM of today). Aside from Colegio de Manila, there were other structures that were built on the site, such as Iglesia Santa Ana, the first stone church in the Philippines. Upon expulsion of the Jesuits from the Spanish Philippines, the buildings were transformed into military headquarters called Cuartel de Rey (also known as Cuartel de España),the same place where
José Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
was placed on trial for sedition here on December 26, 1896.
National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines)
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is an athletics association of nine colleges and universities in the Philippines. Established in 1924, the NCAA is the oldest athletic association in the Philippines...
was played. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, General Douglas McArthur held command post here, but the entire area was later destroyed by the on-going military conflict.
In early 1960s, the site was rehabilitated by the city government and a building was constructed at General Luna Street to house the students of Manila High School. However, on April 24, 1965, the late President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Diosdado Macapagal
Diosdado Macapagal
Diosdado Pangan Macapagal was the ninth President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth Vice President, serving from 1957 to 1961. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970...
issued Proclamation 392-A, giving to the proposed city university the three-hectare lot being occupied by Manila High School. On February 26, 1967, the new complex along Victoria Street was inaugurated, and the students of Manila High School was transferred there. And, finally, on July 17, 1967, the first batch of PLM scholars began its academic pursuits in the site where the very roots of the modern educational system in the Philippines may be found.
Establishment
The history of PLM’s conception started during the administration of the late Mayor Arsenio H. LacsonArsenio Lacson
Arsenio H. Lacson was a Filipino journalist and politician who gained widespread attention as Mayor of Manila from 1952 to 1962. An active executive likened by Time and The New York Times to New York's Fiorello La Guardia, he was the first Manila mayor to be reelected to three terms...
when he approved Ordinance No. 4202 on January 13, 1960 which appropriated PhP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
one million for the construction of the university. Lacson did not live to see the realization of his dream as he died of a heart attack. His successor, Vice Mayor Antonio de Jesus Villegas, pursued his plan.
On February 13, 1963, Villegas issued Executive Order No. 7 s-1963, creating a Planning and Working Committee to draw up a plan to establish a city university. The committee was chaired by Dr. Benito F. Reyes and the members were Gabriel Formoso, Leoncio Monzon, Alfredo Morales, Vicente Albano Pacis, Jose S. Roldan, Carlos Moran Sison, with Atty. Primitivo de Leon as its secretary.
Due to an impasse impending the legislature action of the city council to formally create the university, Villegas interceded for the help of then-Congressman Justo Albert of the fourth congressional district of the City of Manila to sponsor a bill in the Congress seeking to create the university which was passed by the House of Representative in 1964 as House Bill No. 8349. The Senate version of the bill was spearheaded by senators Gil Puyat
Gil Puyat
Gil J. Puyat was a Filipino businessman and politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1951, and as Senate President from 1967 to 1972.-Education:...
and Camilo Osias
Camilo Osías
Camilo Osías was a Filipino politician, twice for a short time President of the Senate of the Philippines....
, which was passed by the Philippine Senate in 1965. The consolidation of the two bills was tackled during the Fourth Session of the Fifth Congress, which began and was held in Manila on January 25, 1965. The consolidated bill was thereafter passed by the joint Congress and was signed by Senate President Ferdinand E. Marcos and House Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal with Regino S. Eustaquio, Secretary of the Senate, and Inocencio B. Pareja, Secretary of the House of Representatives.
Incidentally, during José Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
's birth anniversity on June 19, 1965, the final bill, An Act Authorizing the City of Manila to Establish and Operate the University of the City of Manila and for Other Purposes, was signed into law by President Diosdado P. Macapagal
Diosdado Macapagal
Diosdado Pangan Macapagal was the ninth President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth Vice President, serving from 1957 to 1961. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970...
, in a ceremony in Malacañan Palace
Malacañang Palace
The Malacañan Palace, commonly known simply as Malacañang, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines. Located at 1000 J. P. Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila, the house was built in 1750 in Spanish Colonial style. It has been the residence of every...
. The event was witnessed by Villegas, Congressman Ramon Mitra, Jr.
Ramon Mitra
Ramon Mitra III is the son of The Late former speaker Ramon Mitra, Jr.-Early life:Born Ramon "Mon-Mon" Blanco-Mitra III on October 28, 1964 in Puerto Princesa City, he is the son of The Late Ramon Mitra, Jr. and Cecilia Blanco...
, de Leon, and its main sponsor in the House of Representatives, Congresman Justo Albert. The law was captioned as Republic Act No. 4196, which now serves as the university charter.
The Board of Regents, which is the governing body of the university, was formally organized in the same year as Villegas appointed the member thereof. The university regents were sworn into office during the historic day of January 9, 1967, and they conducted an election of officers on February 23, 1967. The members of the first Board of Regents were Atty. Carlos Moran Sison, chairman, Dr. Benito F. Reyes, vice chairman, Emilio Abello, Roman F. Lorenzo, Jose S. Roldan and Primo L. Tongko, members; Fructuoso R. Yanson served as an ex-officio member and Jose F. Sugay as its secretary. Reyes
Benito F. Reyes
Benito F. Reyes is a well-known Filipino academic and administrator. He was appointed as the first university president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila in 1967. When he moved to the United States in 1970s, Reyes founded the World University at Ojai, California.-Early life and career:Benito...
was chosen as the PLM’s first president.
In 1967, PLM started with a liberal arts college and, about a year later, a graduate institute for teachers and an institute for extramural studies were formed. Reyes aggressively expanded the PLM's curriculum to include professional studies in arts and sciences, engineering, architecture, nursing, criminology, and government.
Growth and expansion
At the turn of the 21st century PLM admitted students from outside of Manila on paying schemes for the first time. Many changes took place that eventually ushered in a new era for the university. Moreover, the University continued with its affiliations and consortium agreements with various educational institutions in the world.This period saw a surge in funds devoted for the university’s physical development. Many new facilities were built at the main campus, and the different departments, colleges and schools were restructured. The university fortified its research capabilities by establishing a number of research units and consortium agreements with other institutions to guide its academic research initiatives.
In 2000, the launching of Pamantasang Limbagan ng Maynila (PLM University Press), inauguration of the Development Center for Women Studies and Services, and the revival of the Manila Studies program under the new Sentro ng Araling Manileno were among the year's highlights.
From 2001 to 2003, the PLM Board of Regents aggressively expanded the PLM curriculum to include professional studies in tourism, hotel and travel industry management, and physical education and recreational sports, as well as, to support the separation of the Department of Architecture from the College of Engineering & Technology; dissection of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Public and Business Administration into new colleges - College of Mass Communication, College of Science, College of Liberal Arts, College of Accountancy & Economics, and College of Management & Entrepreneurship; and, merger of the departments of social work, education and psychology into the College of Human Development.
In 2001, Mayor Lito Atienza
Lito Atienza
Jose Livioko Atienza, Jr. , commonly known by his nickname Lito Atienza, is the former city mayor of Manila and former secretary of the Department of Environment and Resources. He stepped down as mayor of Manila on June 30, 2007, after serving a three-year three-term limit for local government...
authorized the opening of three district colleges under the city government's university system. In about the same time, the integrated learning center for toddlers
Preschool education
Preschool education is the provision of learning to children before the commencement of statutory and obligatory education, usually between the ages of zero and three or five, depending on the jurisdiction....
commenced through the initiative of the Center for University Extension Services (CUES). A year later, the PLM Open University increased its off-campus and distance learning programs to more qualified individuals throughout the country wishing to pursue higher education. Likewise, it installed a general education curriculum and visiting professors agreement with its sister-schools in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
to allow Overseas Filipino
Overseas Filipino
An Overseas Filipino is a person of Philippine origin who lives outside of the Philippines. This term applies both to people of Filipino ancestry who are citizens or residents of a different country and to those Filipino citizens abroad on a more temporary status.Most overseas Filipinos migrate to...
s to pursue their college education.
Campaign for Student Regency
In 2001, the Supreme Student Council (SSC), the university’s student governing body, led the campaign for the student representation at the PLM Board of Regents, and made the PLM community cognizant of the issue. Senator Francis Pangilinan, on January 15, 2002, filed the Senate Bill No. 1967 or an act amending certain provisions of Republic Act No. 4196. The bill seeks the installation of student representation in the Board of Regents, and Senator Pangilinan perceives it as an imperative step in furthering the role of the youth in nation building.English Proficiency Program
In July 2004, Mayor Lito AtienzaLito Atienza
Jose Livioko Atienza, Jr. , commonly known by his nickname Lito Atienza, is the former city mayor of Manila and former secretary of the Department of Environment and Resources. He stepped down as mayor of Manila on June 30, 2007, after serving a three-year three-term limit for local government...
spearheaded the development and implementation of the English Proficiency Program in all schools being funded by the city government. A committee on the use of English was formed a week after the directive was passed, and it was headed by the then PLM President Benjamin Tayabas
Benjamin Tayabas
Benjamin G. Tayabas is a US-trained Filipino educator and administrator. He is the longest-serving university president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. He succeeded Dr. Jose D. Villanueva in 1989, Dr. Virsely M. dela Cruz in 2000, and Atty. Jose M. Roy III in 2006...
. Aside from Tayabas, the other members of the committee were City Administrators Dino Nable, Secretary to the Mayor Emmanuel Sison, Chief of Staff Pia Sacro, Division of City Schools-Manila
Division of City Schools-Manila
The Division of City Schools - Manila or simply the DCS-Manila is a division under the supervision of the Department of Education. It also refers to the three-tier public education system in Manila, Philippines....
Superintendent Ma. Luisa S. Quiñones, City College of Manila President Rodrigo Malunhao and Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology President Maura Bautista. A few weeks later, the English as a Second Language (ESL) Center was established at the PLM before the program's full implementation on September 1. Initially, the city's campaign was derided by some critics and groups, but later lauded and even followed by other institutions. Two years after, the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines began taking part in a massive English retooling effort among private and government schools in partnership with the Department of Education
Department of Education (Philippines)
The Department of Education , is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management and governing of the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Philippine educational policy and is responsible for the Philippine primary and secondary...
.
Continuing development
PLM continued thorough refurbishing of its existing facilities like the repair of the school gymnasium, the creation of a faculty lounge, a health and wellness center,In 2007, the President Ramon Magsaysay Entrepreneurial Center, and the University Activity Center were built through grants from the Philippine Congress. About two years later, two buildings namely, Gusaling Intramuros (Intramuros Hall) and Bahay Maynila (Executive Building) were added. During the same period, PLM allocated PhP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
2-3 million for the establishment of a restaurant near Baluarte de San Diego Gardens, which is now being operated by the College of Tourism, Hotel & Travel Industry Management. Moreover, a proposal of setting up a hotel in a property owned by the city government was considered.
Through the leadership of Atty. Adel Tamano
Adel Tamano
Adel Fadel Abbas Tamano is a Filipino lawyer and politician. He is the spokesperson of the United Opposition and also one of its candidates running for the position of Senator of the Philippines...
, the administration aggressively pursued its allocation for book acquisition to beef up the collection of PLM libraries, and alloted PhP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
5 million to purchase new books for 2008 alone. Aside from improving the physical environment and setup, Tamano also revolutionized some of the existing policies and instituted reforms at the PLM, such as the implementing of stricter admission and retention policies, providing of tenures of office for deans of each school, upgrading of the wage and non-wage benefits of employees, and enforcing of zero tolerance on corruption, such as placing measures that would keep bidding and contract-awarding transparent and open to scrutiny.
Towards the end of Tamano's presidency, the administration created an integrated communications network within the campus. Aside from restoring the PLM website and intensifying the university-wide Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
access, the University partnered with Smart Communications
Smart Communications
Smart Communications is a wholly owned mobile phone and Internet service subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company .On June 30, 2010 the company reported that it had over 45 million cellular subscribers.-Brands:...
for the PLM School SIM and InfoBoard, which is a multi-module information medium and mobile gateway for the PLM community, as well as for the wireless engineering laboratory and operation GSM base station within the campus. It also collaborated with Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
for the activation of the official PLM Live@edu
email address
Live@edu
Microsoft Live@edu is a free suite of hosted Microsoft services and applications that is intended for educational needs.The Live@edu program provides education institutions with a set of hosted collaboration services, communication tools, and mobile, desktop, and web-based applications, as well as...
and online learning tools for its stakeholders.
Expansion plans
The PLM Administration conveyed its plan of building a city university system
University system
A university system is a set of multiple, affiliated universities and colleges that are usually geographically distributed. Typically, all member universities in a university system share a common component among all of their various names...
that would embrace all districts of Manila, as well as to transform the main campus at Intramuros as a center for graduate studies and research, and include a science and technology institute and a polytechnic school in extension campuses. Likewise, they also expressed hope that the city government shall regain jurisdiction over Intramuros from the national government for it is proved to be vital for the proposed expansion plans for the PLM.
Campus
The PLM campus is situated along General Luna and Muralla Streets in Manila's historical IntramurosIntramuros
Intramuros is the oldest district in the present day city of Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Nicknamed the "Walled City", Intramuros is the historic fortified city of Manila, the seat ot the government during the Spanish Colonial Period. Its name in Latin, intramuros,...
district. This three-hectare campus is centered around an open field, where the PLM Grandstand can be found.
Except for the Gusaling Arsenio Lacson (Arsenio Lacson Hall), all buildings inside the campus possess a 19th century or Hispanic architectural design. Moldings, window and door material, grillwork and paneling depict the details of the Bahay na Bato. The different buildings are either separate or interconnected with one another.
The University's academic and recreational facilities include an amphitheater, audiovisual rooms, an auditorium, campus-wide wireless fidelity facility, an entrepreneurial center, a fitness center, free Internet stations, a gymnasium, an integrated learning center for toddlers, library units, a physical therapy clinic, a university health service unit, a pride hall, a printing press, research and specialized centers, and science, communications, and engineering laboratories.
Student life
Students of the PLM have access to a variety of activities while not attending class. The University offers intramural sports, cultural shows and over 50 student and employee organizations. Fraternities and sororities play a role in the university's social life. Youth for Christ and Bible Readers' Society are some of the well-known religious groups. There are also engineering projects teams, including the Microcontrollers and Robotics Society, which have earned a number of recognition in national-level competitions, and debate teams, such as the Speech and Debate Society and the Economics Society. The university also showcases many community service organizations and charitable projects, including the PLM Samaritans, the Brotherhood of Medical Scholars, Legal Aid and Youth Advocacy (LAYA), among others.The University sponsors and implements a comprehensive student services program coordinated by the Office of Student Development and Services (OSDS). The President's Committee on Arts and Culture (PCAC) is responsible for building up the artistry and craft of the PLM students through its different cultural organizations, such as the Hiyas ng Maynilad Dance Troupe
Hiyas ng Maynilad Dance Troupe
The Hiyas ng Maynilad Dance Troupe is the official and premiere cultural dance company of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. The company, consisting of student-performers under the umbrella PLM President’s Committee on Arts and Culture, made its debut performance during the University’s...
, PLM Rondalla
PLM Rondalla
Established in 1982, the PLM Rondalla is the official and premiere musical ensemble of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. It is one of the groups sponsored and run by the PLM President’s Committee on Culture and the Arts...
, PLM Chorale, and the Mabuhay Marching Band. Marulaya
Magwayen Creative Scholars' Guild
The Magwayen Creative Scholars' Guild is the premiere theater organization of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. It is the first organization in PLM to stage a full-length original musical play - Bidasari , the first group to organize a literary contest - Gawad Magwayen , and the first...
is the pioneer theater arts group of PLM created in 1998.
The PLM Activity Center is a venue for many events. Homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
coincides with various festivities to draw past students back to campus. The University hosts notable speakers each year, largely because of the success of the President Ramon Magsaysay School of Public Governance Lecture Series, the Dean's Lecture Series, and the Ramon Magsaysay Awardees' Lecture Series. These are frequently Ramon Magsaysay Award
Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel...
ees who visit PLM while in the capital, as well as scholars, politicians, authors, and religious leaders. Different organizations, clubs, and research units host numerous symposia and fora on various issues and topics.
Concerts and variety shows are commonly held at the PLM Grandstand and Open Field as well as in the Justo Albert Auditorium. In the middle of 2008, the university grounds became a music hall and camp for the participants to the Opusfest, the international piano and chamber music festival. Master classes with interactive performances conducted by international concert artists were open to the PLM community. Before the end of 2009, PLM was one of the two Philippine educational institutions that participated in the 36th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSYEAP), a Japanese government-funded cultural exchange program that promotes friendship and mutual understanding among young people from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n nations and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The student government at PLM is the Supreme Student Council (SSC), governed by a student elected as president. Aside from the SSC, which acts as the central student government body within the PLM, there are college-based student councils as well. Traditionally, there are only 2 university-wide student political parties, namely Bukluran Party and Partidong Tugon, that annually participate in the student council elections. Tracing its roots from the former Sandigan Party, Bukluran was founded in 1995, while Tugon started in 1991 and AYOS! emerged in 2002. A longstanding goal of some members of the student government and political parties is to create a student designated seat on the Board of Regents, the university's governing body.
In 1979, seven years after its predecessor HASIK was padlocked following the declaration of Martial Law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
, Ang Pamantasan
Ang Pamantasan
The Ang Pamantasan is an independent student organization and the official student publication of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, one of the Philippines' most prestigious universities....
, the PLM's official university-wide student publication, was born. Through the years, the publication has faced censorship but it has stood up for campus press freedom and continued to serve as watchdog of the PLM community. There are also several administrative, university-wide, and college-based publications and academic journals being circulated at PLM.
The PLM community regularly organizes inter-university invitational games and dual meets in major sporting events, participates in the Manila Youth Games and Manila Marathon, conducts its very own Student Intramural Games, and participates in the Alculympics
Alculympics
Alculympics, founded in 2009, is a sports league and triennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 18 member schools of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities in the Philippines....
, a sports organization composed of 18 local colleges and universities nationwide.
Motto and song
PLM's motto is "Karunungan, Kaunlaran, Kadakilaan." The Filipino motto is literally translated as "KnowledgeKnowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
, Progress
Progress (history)
In historiography and the philosophy of history, progress is the idea that the world can become increasingly better in terms of science, technology, modernization, liberty, democracy, quality of life, etc...
, Greatness
Greatness
Since the publication of Francis Galton’s Hereditary Genius in 1869, and especially with the accelerated development of intelligence tests in the early 1900s, there has been a vast amount of social scientific research published relative to the question of ‘greatness’...
," which are the University's guiding principles. The official song is entitled "Pamantasang Mahal
Pamantasang Mahal
Pamantasang Mahal is one of the two official hymns of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. It was composed by Mayor Antonio J. Villegas in 1968, while its melody was arranged by Prof. Felipe Padilla de Leon.-Lyrics:...
", translated as "Beloved University."
Seal
The University Seal was designed by Arch. Carlos da Silva. By way of Board Resolution No. 39, the Board of Regents official accepted the seal on its 16th official meeting on June 17, 1967 at the Mayor's Office at the Manila City Hall, describing it as:Colors
The University colors are golden-yellow, flaming-redRed
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
and light-blue. The golden-yellow signifies nobility, wealth and power; white signifies light, truth and faith; light-blue signifies brotherly love and peace red signifies patriotism, bravery and sacrifice; and green signifies hope.
Alumni
PLM has approximately 50,000 alumni since its formal opening in 1967. Alumni hold a variety of positions and jobs throughout the world. PLM graduates are nicknamed as PLMayers.Some notable PLMayers have served the Philippine government both at the national and local levels, such as Senator Ping Lacson, Bohol Congressman Edgar Chatto
Edgar Chatto
Edgardo Migriño Chatto , also known as Edgar Chatto, is a Filipino politician. A lawyer by profession, he is currently the Governor of the Province of Bohol, having been elected in the 2010 elections...
, Manila Congressman Nestor Ponce, Jr., Samar Congressman Antonio Eduardo Nachura
Antonio Eduardo Nachura
Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines until his mandatory retirement in June 13, 2011. He had been Solicitor-General of the Philippines at the time of his appointment to the Court was announced on January 31, 2007 by President Gloria...
, Sorsogon Congressman Jose Solis, Caloocan City Mayor Rey Malonzo, Manila City Vice-Mayor Isko Moreno
Isko Moreno
Francisco Domagoso is the current vice mayor of Manila, Philippines, and a former three-term councilor of the city's first congressional district...
, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and former Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza
Lito Atienza
Jose Livioko Atienza, Jr. , commonly known by his nickname Lito Atienza, is the former city mayor of Manila and former secretary of the Department of Environment and Resources. He stepped down as mayor of Manila on June 30, 2007, after serving a three-year three-term limit for local government...
, among others.
In literature and journalism, PLM has produced two recipients of Carlos Palanca Awards, such as Manuel Buising
Manuel Buising
Manuel Buising was born in Manila, Philippines on the May 4, 1951. He is a multi-awarded playwright, fictionist and komiks writer. He studied at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Education, Major in Filipino in 1972.He was the official...
and Marlon Miguel
Marlon Miguel
Marlon Miguel is a Palanca Award-winning Filipino writer. He is currently working at GMA 7 as writer and brainstormer for TV soaps. He is also the founder of Magwayen, the premiere theater organization of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila....
, as well as winners of journalism awards, including Jason Gutierrez (Asia Human Rights Press Awards by the Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
), and Paolo Joseph L. Lising (Jaime Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism) Other authors and media personalities include award-winning screenwriters and directors like Adolfo Alix, Jr.
Adolfo Alix, Jr.
Adolfo Alix, Jr. or Adolf Alix is a Filipino screenwriter and film director.-Biography:Born October 17, 1978 in Makati City, Philippines....
, Roy Iglesias
Roy Iglesias
Roy Iglesias, a graduate of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, is an award-winning film writer and director in the Philippines. He won Best Story and Best Screenplay for the film, "Mano Po" in Metro Manila Film Festival in 2002.-Film:...
, Florida M. Bautista
Florida M. Bautista
Florida M. Bautista is an independent film director in the Philippines. She is a Mass Communication graduate of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila....
, Real Florido
Real Florido
Real S. Florido is an independent film director in the Philippines and Mass Communications graduate from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. His indie film Saan Nagtatago si Happiness? was one of the eight finalists in the 2006 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival...
, and StarStruck
StarStruck (Philippine TV series)
StarStruck is a Philippine over-all talent competition airing on GMA Network. It debuted on October 27, 2003, and has since become one of the most popular shows on Philippine television....
creator Rommel Gacho; novelist Emeniano Acain Somoza, Jr.
Emeniano Acain Somoza Jr
Foremostly a fictionist, Emeniano Acain Somoza, Jr. is also a poet, an essayist and a playwright. He hails from Siquijor Island, an island in Central Visayas, south of the Philippine Archipelago.-Profile:...
; health communications specialist Dr. Fernado B. Perfas; journalists and columnists Atty. Berteni Causing, Willie Jose, Jun Nardo and Giovanni Paolo Yazon, TV reporter Julius Segovia, and TV host Mon Isberto.
In entertainment and television, PLM is represented by multi-awarded comedian Michael V.
Michael V.
Michael V. , also known as "Bitoy" or "Toybits", is a Filipino comedian, actor, director, composer, singer, rapper, voice artist and parodist, who appears in the GMA Network show Bubble Gang, and in his own TV show Bitoy's Funniest Videos...
, pop singer Aicelle Santos
Aicelle Santos
Aicelle Anne Santos is a Filipino Soul, R&B, Pop, and Jazz singer-songwriter and pianist, who first emerged in the Philippine music scene as a contestant in a nationwide search for the next best singer in the first season of ABS-CBN's Star In A Million...
, theater actor Cezarah Campos, praise music artist Anthony Cailao, action star Rey Malonzo, and drama actors Isko Moreno
Isko Moreno
Francisco Domagoso is the current vice mayor of Manila, Philippines, and a former three-term councilor of the city's first congressional district...
and Robert Ortega. In the world of beauty pageant and modelling, PLM has April Tanhueco, April Love Jordan, and Maria Sovietskaya Bacud.
PLM alumni serving as CEO or holding key positions in companies include Wilma Galvante
Wilma Galvante
Ms. Wilma V. Galvante is GMA Network's senior vice president for entertainment and producer of many TV shows.As the chief of the GMA Network's entertainment block, she experimented with dramas, light-hearted shows and hired good writers...
(Senior Vice-President for Entertainment at GMA-7), Jerry Isla (Chairman and Senior Partner, Isla Lipana & Co.), Fe Tibayan-Palileo (Commissioner, Social Security System; Governor and Treasurer, Employers Confederation of the Philippines), Alvin M. Pinpin (Partner, Sycip, Gorres, Velayo & Co.
Sycip, Gorres, Velayo & Co.
SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co. is the Philippines' largest multidisciplinary professional services firm with eight offices across the country...
), Rolando G. Peña (President and CEO of Smart Broadband; Head of Network Services Division, Smart Communications
Smart Communications
Smart Communications is a wholly owned mobile phone and Internet service subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company .On June 30, 2010 the company reported that it had over 45 million cellular subscribers.-Brands:...
), Edith A. del Rosario (Assistant General Manager for Operations, RPN-9), Roberto del Rosario, (Vice President for Operations, IBC-13), Roberto Juanchito T. Dispo (Senior Vice President of First Metro Investment Corporation, a wholly owned Investment Bank subsidiary of Metrobank
Metrobank
Metrobank can refer to:*Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company , a Philippine bank*MetroBank, the subsidiary of MetroCorp Bancshares, an American bank based in Houston, Texas* Metro Bank , a British retail bank established in 2010...
),, Dr. Ricardo F. de Leon, Executive Vice President of Centro Escolar University
Centro Escolar University
Centro Escolar University is a private university in the Philippines. It was founded on June 3, 1907 by two women, Librada Avelino and Carmen de Luna, and was originally called Centro Escolar de Señoritas. It became a university in 1933...
and former President of the Mindanao State University
Mindanao State University
Mindanao State University is a public coeducational institution of higher education located in the Islamic City of Marawi, Philippines...
, Director Nicanor A. Bartolome, Deputy Director-General of the Philippine National Police
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police is the national police force of the Republic of the Philippines. It is both a national and a local police force in that it does provides all law enforcement services throughout the Philippines...
, and others.
PLMayers in academia and research include business management guru Dr. Conrado E. Iñigo, Jr., nurse-educator and best-selling author Dr. Carlito Balita, Division of City Schools-Manila
Division of City Schools-Manila
The Division of City Schools - Manila or simply the DCS-Manila is a division under the supervision of the Department of Education. It also refers to the three-tier public education system in Manila, Philippines....
Superintendent Dr. María Luisa Quiñones, immunology expert and first Filipino cosmonaut-doctor
Doctor (title)
Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...
Dr. Senen A. Reyes, and others.
In popular culture
The PLM has served as the alma mater for a number of fictional characters of internationally acclaimed films, including Alessandra de RossiAlessandra de Rossi
Alessandra Tiotangco Schiavone , better known by her stage name Alessandra De Rossi or Alex de Rossi , is an Italian-Filipina actress...
's fictional persona in Mga Munting Tinig, and Nora Aunor
Nora Aunor
Nora "Guy" Aunor is a multi-awarded Filipino actress, singer and producer. Aunor has also topbilled several stage plays, television shows, and concerts. She is regarded as the "Superstar in Philippine Entertainment Industry"...
's role as Claudia in Care Home: The Movie. In 2007, the now-defunct teen-oriented show Click
Click (Philippine TV series)
Click was a teen/youth dramedy show produced and aired in the Philippines from 1999 to 2004 that was platform to the launch of current top young actors...
put on a reality show dubbed as CLICK Barkada Hunt
CLICK Barkada Hunt
Click Barkada Hunt is a Filipino reality show which served as a pre-programming to its mother program, Click. The show ran for less than a season which sought to introduce the newest batch of Click stars. The show is for the publicity purpose of the parent show, Click, only.-Episode 1:Episode One...
, which involved the different love teams who had to undergo various challenges. In one of the challenges, they posed as professors of the PLM.