University of the City of Manila

The University of the City of Manila, officially as the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), is a municipal government-funded, tuition-free local university situated inside the historic walled area of Intramuros, Manila, 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.