Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
University of the City of Manila

Motto	Karunungan, Kaunlaran, Kadakilaan
Motto in English	Wisdom, Prosperity, Honor
Type	Public, Local university
Established	June 19, 1965; 60 years ago (1965-06-19)
Academic affiliation	ASAIHL, IAU, ALCU
President	Dr. Domingo Reyes Jr.
Academic staff	2,000
Students	13,000c
Undergraduates	12,000
Postgraduates	1,000
Location	Intramuros, Manila , Metro Manila , Philippines 14°35′13″N 120°58′34″E / 14.587°N 120.976°E / 14.587; 120.976
Campus	Urban 30,000 square metres (3.0 ha)
Newspaper	Ang Pamantasan (The University)
Colors	Gold      White      Green      Blue      Red
Location in Manila Show map of Manila Location in Metro Manila Show map of Metro Manila Location in Luzon Show map of Luzon Location in Philippines Show map of Philippines

The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), also known as the University of the City of Manila, is a public university in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. The city government of Manila provides its funding.

PLM was started on June 19, 1965. It officially opened its doors on July 17, 1967. Its first students were 556 bright scholars from Manila's public high schools.

This university was the first in the Philippines to offer free tuition. It was also the first university funded only by a city government. Plus, it was the first higher education school in the country to have its official name in the Filipino language.

From its first group of 556 students, PLM has grown a lot. Now, about 10,000 students enroll each semester. The university has expanded from one college to twelve colleges, seven graduate schools, and two professional schools. It also has many research centers and special programs.

A study from 1999 to 2003 showed that PLM was among the top five schools in the country. This was based on how well its students passed important board exams. It was also one of only three public universities in the top ten.

History of PLM

Where PLM Stands Today

The land where the PLM campus is located in Intramuros has a long history. It was once home to the Colegio de Manila, the first school in the Philippines. This old school was not the PLM we know today.

Other buildings, like the first stone church in the Philippines, also stood here. Later, the area became a military headquarters. This was the same place where José Rizal was put on trial in 1896.

Don Pepe Atienza Hall, where most of PLM's graduate schools are located.

During the American period, the site continued to be a military headquarters. It was even used by General Douglas MacArthur during World War II. However, the entire area was destroyed during the war.

In the early 1960s, the city government rebuilt the site. A new building was put up for Manila High School students. But on April 24, 1965, President Diosdado Macapagal gave this three-hectare land to the new city university. Manila High School students moved to a new complex in 1967. On July 17, 1967, the first PLM students began their studies here.

How PLM Was Created

The idea for PLM began with Mayor Arsenio Lacson. In 1960, he approved a plan to set aside money to build the university. After Mayor Lacson passed away, Vice Mayor Antonio de Jesus Villegas continued the plan.

In 1963, Mayor Villegas created a committee to plan the new city university. It took some time for the city council to officially create the university. Mayor Villegas asked Congressman Justo Albert to help. A bill to create the university was passed by the House of Representatives in 1964. Senators Gil Puyat and Camilo Osías led the bill in the Senate, which passed in 1965.

On June 19, 1965, President Diosdado Macapagal signed the bill into law. This law, called Republic Act No. 4196, became the university's official charter.

The university's governing body, the Board of Regents, was formed in the same year. Its members were sworn into office in 1967. Benito F. Reyes was chosen as PLM's first president.

In 1967, PLM started with a college offering associate degrees. Soon after, it added a graduate institute and other programs. President Reyes worked hard to expand PLM's courses. These included studies in arts, sciences, engineering, nursing, and government.

What PLM Offers

Academics and Management

PLM is an independent university. It is managed by a Board of Regents and led by a president. The Board of Regents makes the most important decisions. They are the ones who approve diplomas and certificates for students.

The Board has six members, including the PLM president, a faculty representative, and respected educators and professionals. Each member serves for six years. The president makes sure the university's plans are carried out.

Below the president are four vice presidents. They handle different areas like academics, administration, and finances.

PLM has 12 colleges for undergraduate studies. It also has two professional schools and seven graduate schools. These offer many different degree programs.

In 2006, PLM had about 13,711 students. For the 2006–2007 school year, 40,000 people applied, but only 3% were accepted. Students who live in Manila can get into undergraduate colleges more easily. Non-residents can apply if they were top students (Salutatorian or Valedictorian) in their high school.

Manila residents get a full scholarship, meaning they don't pay tuition. Non-residents pay a small fee. Other scholarships are also available from alumni, the government, and private groups.

PLM uses a semester system for its courses. It also uses a grading scale from 1.00 (highest) to 5.00 (lowest).

Helping the Community

PLM students are involved in many community projects. Medical interns from the College of Medicine work in far-off villages. This helps them gain experience and apply what they learn.

Nursing students serve in city health centers. Senior students even live in rural areas for weeks to help with health projects. Physical therapy students also work in rehabilitation centers in different communities.

Students from the College of Human Development visit communities in Manila. They help teach preschoolers in day care centers. They also tutor children who are not in school.

In 2009, PLM started the Alternative Learning Program (ALP). This program offers a different way to learn, using non-formal and informal sources of knowledge.

PLM also joins with groups like Caritas Manila for dental and medical missions. They have helped slum communities and donated blood for hospital patients.

Research and New Ideas

PLM conducts studies and research projects. These projects help create new policies and useful products for the university and industries. PLM is part of important research groups like the Metropolitan Manila Industry and Energy Research and Development Consortium.

How PLM is Seen

University Rankings

In the Philippines, there isn't one official way to rank universities. However, schools are often compared based on how well their students do in professional board exams. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) sometimes publishes these results.

Based on studies, PLM has consistently performed well. From 1994 to 1998, PLM was ranked sixth. From 1992 to 2001, it was ninth. In a study covering 1999 to 2003, PLM placed fifth. This made it one of only two public universities in the top five.

PLM in the 21st Century

Growth and Changes

San Francisco City Mayor Gavin Newsom and Manila Mayor Lito Atienza during the renewal of cooperation programs between the City College of San Francisco and PLM, 2006.

At the start of the 2000s, PLM began accepting students from outside Manila for the first time. Many changes happened, and the university made agreements with other schools worldwide.

More money became available for building new facilities on the main campus. Different departments and colleges were also reorganized. The university created new research units and partnered with other institutions for research.

In 2000, the Pamantasang Limbagan ng Maynila (PLM University Press) was launched. A center for women's studies and services was also opened.

From 2001 to 2003, the PLM Board of Regents added new study programs. These included tourism, hotel management, and physical education. They also separated some departments into new colleges.

In 2001, Mayor Lito Atienza allowed the opening of three district colleges under the city government's university system. Around the same time, a learning center for toddlers began. A year later, the PLM Open University expanded its distance learning programs. It also partnered with schools in Saudi Arabia and Thailand to help Filipinos abroad get a college education.

Student Voice Campaign

In 2001, the Supreme Student Council (SSC), which is the student government, started a campaign. They wanted students to have a representative on the PLM Board of Regents. Senator Francis Pangilinan even filed a bill in 2002 to make this happen.

English Skills Program

In July 2004, Mayor Lito Atienza started a program to improve English skills in all city-funded schools. A committee was formed, led by PLM President Benjamin Tayabas. The English as a Second Language (ESL) Center was set up at PLM. This program was first criticized but later praised and copied by other schools.

Ongoing Improvements

PLM Pride Hall, where the university's achievements are recorded.

PLM continued to improve its facilities. This included fixing the school gym and creating a faculty lounge.

In 2007, the President Ramon Magsaysay Entrepreneurial Center and the University Activity Center were built. Two more buildings, Gusaling Intramuros and Bahay Maynila, were added around 2009. PLM also planned to open a restaurant run by its tourism students.

President Ramon Magsaysay Entrepreneurial Center, a place for creative business ideas.

Under President Adel Tamano, the university's libraries got more books. Tamano also made changes like stricter admission rules and better benefits for employees. He also worked to make sure everything was transparent.

Towards the end of Tamano's term, PLM improved its communication network. They fixed the website and increased Wi-Fi access. The university also partnered with Smart Communications and Microsoft for better online tools and services for students.

Future Plans

The PLM Administration plans to build a city university system that covers all districts of Manila. They also want to make the main campus in Intramuros a center for graduate studies and research. They hope to add a science and technology institute and a polytechnic school in other locations.

PLM Campus

The PLM campus in Intramuros.

The PLM campus is located in Manila's historic Intramuros district. It covers three hectares of land. The campus has an open field with the PLM Grandstand.

Most buildings on campus have a 19th-century or Spanish architectural style. They feature details like those found in old Filipino houses called Bahay na Bato. The buildings are either separate or connected to each other.

The university has many facilities for learning and recreation. These include an amphitheater, audiovisual rooms, an auditorium, and campus-wide Wi-Fi. There's also an entrepreneurial center, a fitness center, free Internet stations, a gym, and library units. Other facilities include a physical therapy clinic, a health service unit, and science and engineering laboratories.

On March 29, 2024, a small part of the main entrance ceiling collapsed. One visitor had minor injuries. Because of this, PLM temporarily changed its entrance and exit gates for safety.

Student Life at PLM

Inside a lecture room of the university

PLM students have many activities to choose from outside of class. The university offers sports, cultural shows, and over 50 student groups. There are religious groups like LifeBox-PLM and Youth for Christ.

Students can also join engineering teams, debate teams, and community service organizations. These include the Lightbearer Society and the PLM Samaritans.

The Office of Student Development and Services (OSDS) helps coordinate student programs. The President's Committee on Arts and Culture (PCAC) helps students develop their artistic talents. They have groups like the Hiyas ng Maynilad Dance Troupe and the PLM Chorale. Marulaya is the university's first theater arts group.

The PLM Activity Center is a popular spot for events. The university often hosts important speakers, including Ramon Magsaysay Awardees. Different groups also hold discussions and forums on various topics.

Concerts and shows are often held at the PLM Grandstand and Open Field. In 2008, the campus hosted Opusfest, an international piano and chamber music festival. PLM also participated in the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSYEAP), a cultural exchange program with Japan.

The student government at PLM is called the Supreme Student Council (SSC). Students elect a president to lead it. There are also student councils for each college. Students have been working to get a student representative on the Board of Regents.

Rajah Sulayman Gymnasium, home of PLM's athletic teams.

Ang Pamantasan is PLM's official student publication. It started in 1979 and works to protect campus press freedom. There are also other publications and academic journals at PLM.

The PLM community often organizes sports games and participates in city-wide events. They also have their own Student Intramural Games and join the Alculympics, a sports event for local colleges.

In 2019, the PLM Supreme Student Council spoke out about press freedom. Later, the university administration set rules that limited students from discussing national issues. Students protested these rules, showing their support for freedom of expression.

In October 2022, PLM made a new uniform policy. It removed old rules based on gender. Now, students have more choices about what uniform to wear. This shows that the university supports academic freedom and gender expression.

PLM Symbols

Motto and Song

PLM's motto is "Karunungan, Kaunlaran, Kadakilaan." In English, this means "Knowledge, Progress, Greatness." These are the university's guiding ideas. The official song is called "Pamantasang Mahal," which means "Beloved University."

University Seal

The Seal of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

The University Seal was designed by Arch. Carlos da Silva. The Board of Regents officially accepted it on June 17, 1967.

The seal is a circular shield with fourteen triangles around it, like sunbeams. It says "Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila 1965" in gold. The shield inside is divided into four parts. These four parts represent the four congressional districts of Manila at that time.

The seal includes symbols like a sunburst, a flaming torch, and the symbol for atomic orbits. There's also a book with an old Tagala script scroll and a branch of the Nilad shrub. The motto "Karunungan, Kaunlaran, Kadakilaan" is written at the bottom. The fourteen triangles around the shield stand for Manila's administrative districts like Tondo and Intramuros.

University Colors

The university colors are golden yellow, flaming red, light blue, and green. Each color has a meaning:

• Golden yellow means nobility, wealth, and power.
• White means light, truth, and faith.
• Light blue means brotherly love and peace.
• Red means patriotism, bravery, and sacrifice.
• Green means hope.

PLM Alumni

PLM has about 50,000 alumni since it opened in 1967. Alumni are former students. They work in many different jobs around the world. PLM students and graduates are often called PLMayers.

Many notable PLMayers have served in the Philippine government. These include Senator Ping Lacson, Congressman Edgar Chatto, and former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.

In writing and journalism, PLM has produced award-winning writers like Manuel Buising and Marlon Miguel. Other alumni are screenwriters, directors, novelists, and journalists.

In entertainment, PLM is represented by famous people like comedian Michael V., singer Aicelle Santos, and actors Jerald Napoles and Robert Ortega. Some alumni have also succeeded in beauty pageants and modeling.

Many PLMayers hold important positions in companies. These include Wilma Galvante (Senior Vice-President at GMA-7) and Rolando G. Peña (President and CEO of Smart Broadband).

PLM alumni in academics and research include business expert Dr. Conrado E. Iñigo, Jr., and nurse-educator Dr. Carlito Balita.

Images for kids

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  The PLM campus in Intramuros and its vicinity as seen from the Manila Hotel.

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  Gusaling Intramuros colorful windows

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  PLM Chapel

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  Two-point View Gusaling Atienza

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  Details of the Exterior

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  Details of the Exterior

See also

In Spanish: Universidad de la Ciudad de Manila para niños

• List of the University of the City of Manila faculty
• Universidad de Manila, the other city university of Manila
• University of the Philippines Manila, component university of the University of the Philippines system in Manila
• University of Manila, private university in Manila