University of the City of Manila

The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), also officially known as the University of the City of Manila, is a municipal public university in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. It is funded by the city government of Manila. The university 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 is 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 college has expanded from a single college to twelve colleges, seven graduate schools, 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. 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.

History

Geographical history

The site where the PLM campus in Intramuros is situated used to be occupied by the Colegio de Manila (also known as Colegio Seminario de San Ignacio, Colegio Máximo de San Ignacio, and, later, Universidad 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 del 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 played by member schools of the NCAA. In World War II, General Douglas MacArthur held a command post here, but the entire area was later destroyed by the ongoing military conflict.

In the 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, President Diosdado Macapagal issued Proclamation No. 392-A, giving the proposed city university the 3-hectare (7.4-acre) 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 were transferred there. On July 17, 1967, the first batch of PLM scholars began their studies.

Establishment

PLM was conceived during the administration of Manila Mayor Arsenio H. Lacson, when he approved Ordinance No. 4202 on January 13, 1960, which appropriated PhP 1 million for the construction of the university. After Lacson died of a heart attack, he was succeeded by Vice Mayor Antonio Villegas, who continued with his plan.

On February 13, 1963, Villegas issued Executive Order No. 7 s-1963, creating a Planning and Working Committee, chaired by Benito F. Reyes, to draw up a plan to establish a city university.

Due to an impasse impeding the legislative 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 Representatives in 1964 as House Bill No. 8349. The Senate version of the bill was spearheaded by senators Gil Puyat and Camilo Osías, 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.

Institution

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 the graduation of students. The six-member Board is composed of the president of 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 – Manila. 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 master's, doctoral, and graduate diploma programs.

The Arts and Sciences degree programs at the undergraduate level are conferred through the College of Accountancy and Economics, the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the College of Engineering and Technology, the College of Human Development, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Management and Entrepreneurship, the College of Mass Communication, the College of Nursing, the College of Physical Education, Recreation and Sports, the College of Physical Therapy, the College of Science, and the College of Tourism, Hotel and 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 and 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 on 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 is exclusive for Manila residents, non-residents who have graduated either as salutatorian or valedictorian are entitled to take the PLM Admission Test and eventually qualify as freshmen. No specific residency requirements are imposed for the professional (law and medicine) and graduate schools. Full scholarships are 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.

Campus

The PLM campus is situated along General Luna and Muralla Streets in Manila's historical Intramuros district. This three-hectare (7.4-acre) campus is centered on 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. The mouldings, window and door material, grillwork, and panelling 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 Wi-Fi, 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 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. LifeBox-PLM, PLM-Student Catholic Action, Youth for Christ, Bible Readers' Society, and Seeds of the Nation (SONS) 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 recognitions 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 Lightbearer Society, PLM Samaritans, the Brotherhood of Medical Scholars, and 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, 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 Awardees 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 participants of 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 Asian nations and Japan.

Symbols

Motto and hymn

PLM's motto is "Karunungan, Kaunlaran, Kadakilaan". The Filipino motto literally translates to "Knowledge, Progress, Greatness", which are the university's guiding principles. The official hymn is entitled "Pamantasang Mahal" (lit. '"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:

A circular shield framed with fourteen triangles, depicting a sunbeam, with embossed inscription: "Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila 1965" all in gold. The field within is divided quarterly. The upper dexter field is in red, the lower sinister field in light blue, and the upper sinister field and lower dexter field in white. On the upper dexter side, the sunburst in white and gold rays are placed on a red field. The upper sinister side has a flaming torch on the tip of a bamboo handle superimposed over the symbol of the atomic orbits with electrons in red, placed on a white field. On the lower center point is a book superimposed with a bamboo scroll with ancient Tagala script balanced by a branch of the Nilad shrub in light green, all placed between the lower white and light blue fields. From the lower dexter side to the lower sinister side are inscribed in gold: "Karunungan, Kaunlaran, Kadakilaan." The circular shield is divided into four quadrants, representing the then-four congressional districts of Manila, while the fourteen triangles or radiating spires stand for the administrative districts (also known as the geographical districts) of Tondo, Binondo, Quiapo, San Nicolas, Santa Cruz, Sampaloc, San Miguel, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Paco, Pandacan, Port Area, and Santa Ana.

Colors

The university colors are golden yellow, flaming red, light blue, and green. 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.

Faculty

A master's degree is required as part of minimum requirements for permanency. Notable current and former instructors and administrators include:

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 students and graduates are nicknamed PLMayers.

Some notable alumni 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 Mayor Rey Malonzo, Manila 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 a winner of a journalism award, Jason Gutierrez (Asia Human Rights Press Awards by Amnesty International). Other authors and media personalities include award-winning screenwriters and directors like Adolfo Alix Jr., Roy C. Iglesias, Florida M. Bautista, Real Florido, and StarStruck creator Rommel Gacho.

In entertainment and television, PLM is represented by multi-awarded comedian Michael V., pop singer Aicelle Santos, comedian and theater actor Jerald Napoles, and drama actors Isko Moreno and Robert Ortega.

Эх сурвалж: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)