THE HISTORY OF A
LEGENDARY UNIVERSITY

On June 19, 1965, PLM was established through House Bill No. 8349, which later became Republic Act 4196, now the University's Charter. As the first institution of higher learning in the Philippines to have an official name in Filipino, PLM formally opened its door on July 17, 1967 to the 556  freshman scholars, all coming from the top ten percent of the graduating classes of Manila's twenty nine public high schools.  It is tuition-free and funded by the City of Manila to offer tertiary education most especially to the disadvantaged but deserving students.

PLM has firmly established itself as a pillar of higher education in the country. It is a proud university, at par with the top schools here and abroad.  More importantly, it is a free university, which translates the democratic ideal of free education into a reality, as it continues to offer its facilities and resources to the greater benefit of all the poor and deserving students in the city.

TEAM ONE PAMANTASAN

The rallying call of PLM is T.O.P., which stands for a Truly Outstanding Pamantasan. It also stands for Team One Pamantasan, a community of educators, administrators, alumni and students. Such raison d'etre derives its intent and resolve from the vision of a Pamantasan that stays on top and always on the forefront. Since its establishment in 1965, the fervor for total student development has always been the University's utmost priority. But such is not accomplished by academic excellence alone. Pamantasan grooms its students to become disciplined and refined individuals that are ardent and active, not only in their curricular responsibilities, but in other- and extra-curricular activities, as well.

Today, PLM is home to fourteen colleges, two professional schools, five graduate schools, and a score of specialized centers. It maintains a strong Distance Education and Open University Program for thousands of community health workers and public administrators in various regions nationwide. Only recently, it has established a world-class graduate school in public governance named after the late President Ramon Magsaysay, which also serves as the academic home for international Ramon Magsaysay awardees.

 PLM is proud to be among the top universities in the country today with affiliations and recognition of outstanding excellence from various national and international organizations and institutions.  So much of a distinction the PLM has achieved that it has been consistently cited as among the best institutions of higher learning not only in the country, but regionally and internationally as well.

 As testament to this excellence, the CHED has publicly commended the PLM for its unprecedented track record for scaling great heights yet unmeasured in the country, which fittingly serves as a model university for all locally-funded institutions of higher learning.

SHARING THE VISION & DREAM
OF EVERY MANILEÑO & FILIPINO

Today, after almost four decades, Pamantasan, as it continues its developmental program of innovation and improvement, has made tremendous accomplishments. Its increase in enrollment and graduates indicates that Pamantasan is spreading the benefits of free education to more and more Manilans. It has improved its academic courses to make them more relevant to the ever-changing needs of the students and the community that they will serve after graduation. It has also continuously looked after the professional growth of its academic and administrative staff through seminars and other training programs to Increase Pamantasan's effectiveness in pursuing its educational aims. Pamantasan has also deeply involved itself in various programs of the students, faculty and administration.

 The ultimate hope for the attainment of a wholesome and equitable life for our people hinges impregnably in the hands of the youth: the young men and women, who, driven by their sense of patriotism to regain and preserve a treasured heritage, have taken upon themselves the ceaseless perseverance and enthusiasm to achieve academic excellence. PLM has played distinct role for almost forty years in concretizing that faith and aspiration even as it is a part of our sacred mandate to provide the means for perpetuity.  The vision and the dream of the University are as much the vision and the dream of the Filipino.  That is why there is no better ambiance for the Filipino dream outside the enclave of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.