Members of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) community gathered on Monday, June 19, 2023, to kick off a week-long celebration of the University's 56th founding anniversary.
The day opened with a flag-raising ceremony and wreath laying at the monument of Dr. Jose Rizal inside the PLM Campus as the University's foundation day coincides with the birth of the national hero.
Students, faculty, and staff joined in a grand parade inside Intramuros, followed by brief program at the open field. Academic units also opened their exhibits to put emphasis on research and development.
𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Distinguished government leaders led PLM's Transformation Program on Monday afternoon who pledged to support the University's causes, particularly for increased budgetary support.
“I join the call for meaningful and sufficient support from both the government and private sector collaboration. PLM deserves more because PLM can do more,” Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said in his keynote speech as he commended the consistently strong performance of PLM graduates in various licensure examinations, as well as excellence in sports and public service of its alumni.
PLM graduates have consistently outperformed national passing rates and has produced topnotchers in various fields such as medicine, nursing, physical therapy, engineering, and accountancy, to name a few.
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, who once served as chairman of the PLM Board of Regents, extended gratitude for PLM's unrelenting commitment to provide quality tertiary education to the Filipino youth, especially for the underprivileged.
"Nurturing minds and hearts of citizens is the noblest of tasks… On behalf of the national government, thank you for the work you do for the people," Diokno said in his message during the ceremony held at PLM's Justo Albert Auditorium.
Diokno said the national government will continue to invest heavily in education — a common goal with academic institutions like PLM. He called upon the University to continue to "raise responsible citizens who contribute to communities with wisdom and passion."
For his part, former College of Law Dean and Faculty Regent now Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Atty. George Erwin Garcia said the achievements of PLM and its students, faculty, and alumni are laudable despite facing limited funding and outdated learning facilities and equipment.
"There is an immense need to increase state support for PLM so that we can further raise the quality of education we provide to students, who are studying to secure jobs that will respond to the higher interest of the public," Garcia said.
The Comelec chairman also vowed to assist PLM in resolving its unique position as a chartered and autonomous University by law but is funded by a local government, the City Government of Manila. PLM is ever grateful to the generous subsidies provided by the City of Manila but hopes that the national government can extend more financial resources to PLM so that it can support its rapidly expanding student population, which is currently at 18,000.
Undergraduate studies remain tuition-free at PLM with the support of the City Government of Manila and of the Commission on Higher Education through the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education or UniFAST Act.
𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆
University officials are thankful for the support extended by the public officials and hopes to sustain PLM's legacy.
"PLM facilities need updating. With focused and enhanced public support and private sector engagement, these needs can be provided," PLM President Emmanuel Leyco said.
"We envision our doctors, nurses, therapists to become models of health care providers for the people, especially the poor and the marginalized. We envision our PLM engineers and architects to serve as model builders of public infrastructure, like roads and bridges, public housing, markets, and dams," he added. "We envision our graduates of PLM public administration programs to serve as model public servants."
Additional resources will be used to enhance students' holistic learning experience, enough to prepare them for their future roles towards nation-building.
"With continued and sustained support, we face our 57th year with renewed confidence and vigor," Board of Regents Chairman Atty. Jose Ngaw added.
PLM takes pride in staying true to its principles of Karunungan, Kaunlaran at Kadakilaan as it continues to uphold its mandate to provide high-quality tertiary education to the Filipino youth.
More events have been lined up to celebrate PLM's founding anniversary. The University will host an appreciation gathering for generous scholarship sponsors who have supported PLM students during their education on Tuesday, June 20. Meanwhile, events on Wednesday, June 21 are led by PLM's Program on Rewards and Incentives for Service Excellence for outstanding employees and faculty members.
Other events lined up for the week are a student singing competition and awarding ceremony (June 21), Larong Pinoy and basketball sportsfests, dance competition, and band performances (June 22), and an alumni homecoming night (June 23).
