| Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila University of the City of Manila | |
| Latin Name: | Universitas Urbis Manilae[1] --> |
| Motto: | Filipino; Pilipino: Karunungan, Kaunlaran, Kadakilaan |
| Mottoeng: | Wisdom, Prosperity, Honor |
| President: | Dr. Domingo Reyes Jr. |
| Province: | Metro Manila |
| Country: | Philippines |
| Free Label: | Newspaper |
| Free: | Filipino; Pilipino: [[Ang Pamantasan]] (The University) |
| Students: | 13,000c |
| Undergrad: | 12,000 |
| Postgrad: | 1,000 |
| Faculty: | 2,000 |
| Campus: | Urban 30000m2 |
| Colors: | Gold White Green Blue Red |
| Coordinates: | 14.587°N 120.976°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Philippines City of Manila#Metro Manila#Luzon mainland#Philippines |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Manila##Location in Metro Manila##Location in Luzon##Location in the Philippines |
The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), also officially 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.[2] [3]
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.[2] [3] [4]
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.[5] The college has expanded from a single college to twelve colleges,[6] seven graduate,[7] two professional schools,[8] and a score of research and specialized centers, including a teaching hospital, an entrepreneurial center,[9] 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.[3]
A study using cumulative data from 1999 to 2003 showed that PLM was among the top five schools nationwide in terms of board exam passing rate, and was one of three public universities in the top ten category.[3] [10]
The site where the PLM campus at 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.[11] [12] [13] [14] (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.[13] [15] 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),[13] the same place where José Rizal was placed on trial for sedition here on December 26, 1896.[5] [13]
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.[13] Its Quonset Gym held one of the first games played by member-schools of the NCAA.[16] In World War II, General Douglas MacArthur held command post here, but the entire area was later destroyed by the ongoing military conflict.[13] [17]
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 392-A, giving to the proposed city university the three-hectare lot being occupied by Manila High School.[13] [18] On February 26, 1967, the new complex along Victoria Street was inaugurated, and the students of Manila High School were transferred there.[17] On July 17, 1967, the first batch of PLM scholars began their studies.[19]
PLM was conceived during the administration of Mayor Arsenio H. Lacson, when he approved Ordinance No. 4202 on January 13, 1960, which appropriated PhP one million for the construction of the university.[20] After Lacson died of a heart attack he was succeeded by Vice Mayor Antonio de Jesus Villegas, who continued with his plan.[18]
On February 13, 1963, Villegas issued Executive Order No. 7 s-1963, creating a Planning and Working Committee, chaired by Dr. Benito F. Reyes, to draw up a plan to establish a city university.[20]
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.[20] The Senate version of the bill was spearheaded by senators Gil Puyat and Camilo Osías,[20] 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[5] and House Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal with Regino S. Eustaquio, Secretary of the Senate, and Inocencio B. Pareja, Secretary of the House of Representatives.
On June 19, 1965,[5] 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,[5] was signed into law by President Diosdado P. Macapagal,[5] in a ceremony in Malacañang Palace. The event was witnessed by Villegas, Congressman Ramon Mitra, Jr., de Leon, and its main sponsor in the House of Representatives, Congressman Justo Albert. The law was captioned as Republic Act No. 4196, [5] 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.[3] [18]
In 1967, PLM started with a college in associate in arts and, about a year later, a graduate institute for teachers[21] 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.[22]
As a chartered and autonomous university,[3] PLM is governed by a Board of Regents and administered by a president.[23] 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.[3] 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-Manila. Each member serves a six-year tenure of office.[23] [24] The president oversees the implementation of the university policies.[25]
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.[26]
| The Presidents of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila University of the City of Manila | |
| Dr. Benito F. Reyes, February 23, 1967 – June 23, 1972 | |
| Dr. Consuelo L. Blanco, December 21, 1972 – May 31, 1978 | |
| Dr. Ramon D. Bagatsing, June 1, 1978 – October 27, 1982 | |
| Dr. Jose D. Villanueva, January 14, 1983 – June 30, 1989 | |
| Dr. Benjamin G. Tayabas, July 1, 1989 – June 24, 1996 | |
| Dr. Virsely dela Cruz, June 25, 1996 – April 30, 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, February 24, 2000 – August 1, 2007 | |
| Atty. Jose M. Roy III, (Acting President) February 23, 2006 – May 31, 2006 | |
| Atty. Adel A. Tamano, August 4, 2007 – November 30, 2009 | |
| Atty. Rafaelito M. Garayblas (Officer-in-Charge), December 1, 2009– June 30, 2013 | |
| Atty. Artemio G. Tuquero, July 1, 2013–September 2014 | |
| Dr. Ma. Leonora V. de Jesus, September 2014 – July 2019 | |
| Prof. Emmanuel A. Leyco, July 2019 – 2024 | |
| Dr. Domingo Reyes, Jr., July 2024 – Present |
The university is organized into 12 undergraduate colleges,[6] two professional schools,[8] seven graduate schools,[7] and an open university and distance learning program,[27] which are all supervised by the executive vice president.[26] These academic units collectively provide 53 single-degree undergraduate and 49 masters, doctoral, and graduate diploma programs.[28] [29]
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.[30]
PLM is the tenth largest university in Metro Manila, with a total student enrollment of 13,711 on January 20, 2006.[31] For the undergraduate class of 2006–2007, PLM received 40,000 college applications, and accepted 3% of them.[32] While admittance to the undergraduate colleges are 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.[3] Full scholarship is entitled for Manila residents, while minimal fees are charged for non-residents.[33] Other scholarships are available in the university, with funding coming from alumni donations, the government, and the private sector.[34]
PLM's endowment in 2008 was valued at PhP 500 million,[5] excluding budgetary allocation for its chief teaching hospital, the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, which was about PhP 250 million.[35] The university spends about four to fives times the national average for education.[36]
PLM uses a semester-based modular system for conducting courses,[37] adopts features of the US credit system, and employs the General Weighted Average (GWA) system and a 1.00 to 5.00 grading scale.[38]
As one of the participating schools of medicine in "Bagong Doktor para sa Bayan (New Doctor for the Nation)" of the national government,[39] the College of Medicine requires that medical interns are stationed for months in far-flung barangays for experience and to apply community dynamics, family medicine theories, and appropriate technologies with the people of the community.[40]
Students in the College of Nursing serve in 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 not required to do so, they are encouraged to render service to the country before going abroad.[41] [42]
Physical therapy students in their last year in college are required to apply their learning 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 discourages impoverished children from dropping out of school.[43] 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 training.[44]
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.[45]
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.[46] Since 1999 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.[47] Similar blood donation 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[48] and the "Operation Lifeline" by the PLM ROTC Unit. In July 2010, Center for Community Extension Services (CUES) launched "Dugong Alay, Dugtong Buhay", a university-wide voluntary blood donation program that has unified and streamlined the various blood donationg undertakings previously rendered by different groups and organizations inside the campus.[49] [50]
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 Consortium and its own research division.[51] PLM is one of the four academic institutions chosen as members of the Metropolitan Manila Industry and Energy Research and Development Consortium (MMIERDC) of the Department of Science and Technology.[52] It is a member institution of the CHED Zonal Research Program for the National Capital Region.[53]
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 Education (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.[54] For the ten-year period 1992–2001, PLM placed ninth.[55] In the study covering 1999 to 2003, the PLM placed fifth, making it one of the two public universities in the top five list.[3] [56] [57]
No follow-up rankings had been made . 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.[58]
At the turn of the 21st century PLM admitted students from outside of Manila on paying schemes for the first time. Many changes were made, and the university continued with its affiliations and consortium agreements with various educational institutions in the world.[59]
Additional funds were made available for the university's physical development;[60] many new facilities were built at the main campus,[60] and the different departments, colleges and schools were restructured. The university established a number of research units, and made research consortium agreements with other institutions.
In 2000, Pamantasang Limbagan ng Maynila (PLM University Press) was launched, the Development Center for Women Studies and Services was inaugurated, and the Manila Studies program was reviced under the new Sentro ng Araling Manileno.[61] [62]
From 2001 to 2003, the PLM Board of Regents expanded the PLM curriculum to include professional studies in tourism, hotel and travel industry management, and physical education and recreational sports;[63] supported the separation of the Department of Architecture from the College of Engineering & Technology; separated 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;[63] [64] and merged the departments of social work, education and psychology into the College of Human Development.[64] [65]
In 2001, Mayor Lito Atienza authorized the opening of three district colleges under the city government's university system.[66] [67] At about the same time, the integrated learning center for toddlers commenced through the initiative of the Center for University Extension Services (CUES).[68] A year later, the PLM Open University increased its off-campus and distance learning programs to more qualified individuals throughout the country. It installed a general education curriculum and visiting professors agreement with its sister-schools in Saudi Arabia and Thailand to allow Overseas Filipinos to pursue their college education.[69] [70]
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.[71] Senator Francis Pangilinan on January 15, 2002, filed the Senate Bill No. 1967 or an act amending certain provisions of Republic Act No. 4196, which sought student representation on the Board of Regents.[72]
In July 2004, Mayor Lito Atienza 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, headed by the PLM President Benjamin Tayabas. A few weeks later, the English as a Second Language (ESL) Center was established at the PLM[73] before the program's full implementation on September 1.[74] Initially, the city's campaign was derided by some critics and groups,[75] [76] but later lauded and even followed by other institutions.[77] [76] [78] 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.[79]
PLM continued refurbishing its facilities,[80] including the repair of the school gymnasium, the creation of a faculty lounge, and a health and wellness center.[81] [82]
In 2007, the President Ramon Magsaysay Entrepreneurial Center, and the University Activity Center[83] 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, operated by the College of Tourism, Hotel & Travel Industry Management.
Under the leadership of Adel Tamano,[82] the administration increased the collection of PLM libraries, and allotted PhP 5 million to purchase new books for 2008.[81] Tamano also 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,[5] [84] upgrading of the wage and non-wage benefits of employees,[5] [80] and enforcing of zero tolerance on corruption,[80] such as placing measures that would keep bidding and contract-awarding transparent and open to scrutiny.[5]
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,[85] and for the wireless engineering laboratory and operation GSM base station within the campus.[86] [87] It also collaborated with Microsoft for the activation of the official PLM Live@eduemail address and online learning tools for its stakeholders.[88] [89] [90]
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.[91] [92] 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.[92]
The PLM campus is situated along General Luna and Muralla Streets in Manila's historical Intramuros district. This three-hectare campus[5] is centered on an open field, where the PLM Grandstand can be found.[93]
Except for the Gusaling Arsenio Lacson (Arsenio Lacson Hall), all buildings inside the campus possess a 19th-century or Hispanic architectural design.[94] Moldings, window and door material, grillwork and paneling depict the details of the Bahay na Bato.[94] The different buildings are either separate or interconnected with one another.[94]
The university's academic and recreational facilities include an amphitheater, audiovisual rooms, an auditorium, campus-wide Wi-Fi,[95] an entrepreneurial center,[9] a fitness center, free Internet stations,[95] 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.[96]
On March 29,2024, at 2:27 p.m., the main entrance ceiling of Gusaling Emilio Ejercito collapsed. A visitor of the lady guard suffered minor abrasion and was given medical attention. “Pending evaluation and completion of needed repairs, we will in the meantime use the Sta. Lucia Gate near Justo Albert Auditorium for our entrance and the Sta. Lucia Gate near the Rajah Sulayman Gymnasium for our exit,” PLM explained.[97]
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.[98] Fraternities and sororities play a role in the university's social life. LifeBox-PLM, PLM-Student Catholic Action, Youth for Christ and Bible Readers' Society, 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 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 Lightbearer Society, PLM Samaritans, the Brotherhood of Medical Scholars, Legal Aid and Youth Advocacy (LAYA),[99] among others.
The university sponsors and implements a comprehensive student services program coordinated by the Office of Student Development and Services (OSDS).[100] The President's Committee on Arts and Culture (PCAC) is responsible for building up the artistry and craft of the PLM students[101] through its different cultural organizations, such as the Hiyas ng Maynilad Dance Troupe, PLM Rondalla, PLM Chorale, and the Mabuhay Marching Band.[102] Marulaya is the pioneer theater arts group of PLM created in 1998.[103]
The PLM Activity Center is a venue for many events. Homecoming coincides with various festivities to draw past students back to campus.[104] 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.[105] [106] [107] [108] Different organizations, clubs, and research units host numerous symposia and fora on various issues and topics.[109] [110] [111]
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,[112] the international piano and chamber music festival. Master classes with interactive performances conducted by international concert artists were open to the PLM community.[113] 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.[114]
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[115] and Partidong Tugon[116], 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.[98] 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.[71] [117] [118] [119]
In 1979, seven years after its predecessor HASIK[120] 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.[121] 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.[122] [123] [124]
In a response to the arrest of Maria Ressa, in February 2019, the PLM Supreme Student Council released a statement against attacks on press freedom. In response, the university administration later imposed rules which prevented students from discussing about national issues, while threatening students with possible expulsion proceedings. The students later protested over the university's policies,[125] in solidarity with the national Black Friday protest.[126]
In October 2022, PLM issued an administrative order on the new uniform policy, formally removing the sex-based guidelines and giving the students options on whatever uniform to wear, with certain exemptions, in a move to show that the university "is a safe space for academic freedom and gender expression". The said order took effect the following month.[127]
PLM's motto is "Karunungan, Kaunlaran, Kadakilaan". The Filipino motto is literally translated as "Knowledge, Progress, Greatness", which are the university's guiding principles.[128] The official song is entitled "Pamantasang Mahal",[2] translated as "Beloved University."[129]
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:
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.[128]
See main article: List of the University of the City of Manila 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 as PLMayers.[130]
Some notable PLMayers have served the Philippine government both at the national and local levels, such as Senator Ping Lacson,[131] [132] Bohol Congressman Edgar Chatto,[133] Manila Congressman Nestor Ponce, Jr.,[134] Samar Congressman Antonio Eduardo Nachura,[135] Sorsogon Congressman Jose Solis,[136] Caloocan Mayor Rey Malonzo, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno,[137] 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[138] [139] and Marlon Miguel,[140] as well as a winner of journalism award, Jason Gutierrez (Asia Human Rights Press Awards by the Amnesty International).[141] 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, June Nardo and Giovanni Paolo Yazon, multi-awarded radio announcer Chris Capulso, Former GMA Reporter and now Flying V Communications Head Julius Segovia, and TV host Mon Isberto.
In entertainment and television, PLM is represented by multi-awarded comedian Michael V., pop singer Aicelle Santos,[142] theater actor Cezarah Campos, praise music artist Anthony Cailao, action star Rey Malonzo, comedian and theater actor Jerald Napoles, and drama actors Isko Moreno and Robert Ortega. In the world of beauty pageant and modelling, PLM has April Tanhueco, April Love Jordan,[130] and Maria Sovietskaya Bacud. Mary Anne Dominique Cabrera, Little Miss Philippines 1996 3rd runner up.[130]
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.),[143] 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),[144] Dr. Ricardo F. de Leon, Executive Vice President of Centro Escolar University and former President of the Mindanao State University,[145] Director Nicanor A. Bartolome, Deputy Director-General of the Philippine National Police,[146] Dr. Eduardo Cabantog M.D. President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director Alliance In Motion Global, Inc. and others.
PLMayers in academia and research include business management guru Dr. Conrado E. Iñigo, Jr.,[147] nurse-educator and author Dr. Carlito Balita,[148] Division of City Schools-Manila Superintendent Dr. María Luisa Quiñones,[149] immunology expert and first Filipino cosmonaut - doctor Dr. Senen A. Reyes,[150] [151] and others.
The PLM has served as the alma mater for a number of fictional characters of internationally acclaimed films, including Alessandra de Rossi'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.[152] In the 2022 GMA television series Maria Clara at Ibarra, Barbie Forteza plays the role of Maria Clara "Klay" Infantes, a nursing student from PLM who later finds herself transported into the world of Noli Me Tángere and El filibusterismo.[153]