Development Thrust under the Past Leadership of Atty. Garayblas
As a public university receiving most of its funding from the City of Manila, PLM operates on an annual budget of about PhP300 million. This supports the current twenty-eight (28) single-degree undergraduate and professional certificate programs, as well as twenty-nine (29) masters, doctoral and graduate diploma programs, offered in twelve (12) colleges, two (2) professional schools and six (6) graduate schools. A set of distance learning programs, an integrated learning center for toddlers, and a score of specialized centers and a training hospital, the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, all contribute to the University’s services to the community. The administrative sector of the University all support the curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular needs of the academic community.
In the simple yet pragmatic vision of Atty. Rafaelito M. Garayblas, he rallied the PLM community towards an optimal learning that may be best achieved by maximizing the outcomes while reasonably minimizing the expenses. This timeless lesson of "Productivity" which measures an organization's efficiency, he believes, also sustains its ability to rise up to the challenges that may confront it. Challenges drive even a well-run organization and its stakeholders to dynamically evolve, mature and stretch their capabilities.
That system of being constantly challenged will keep even an already competent organization nimble and resilient in the face of dire hardships and crises that may eventually come along the way. Further, as a management fundamental, by focusing on the strengths of pure essentials, any organization may be able to achieve more and surpass all big challenges, yet spend less or at least operate within the reasonable means or resources available at its disposal. In PLM, the pure essentials is characterized in many ways, including the innate talents of intellectual prowess of its scholars, fully competent and devoted faculty members, and a staff complement that serves both the needs of the scholars and the professoriate to enable the latter to reach their full potentials.
With a greater sense of unbending commitment to public service, this ultimate form of empowerment will provide the needed impetus to enable the University to shine at its brightest -- under the culture of meaningful achievement through selfless sacrifices that characterize a true public servant.
Atty. Garayblas, a seasoned manager and public servants as he is, believes that, in due time, PLM would exemplify the character of an enduring public university that exudes a high degree of academic excellence -- one that is teeming with success stories that would compare with, if not surpass, past glories.
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Development Thrust under the Past Leadership of Atty. Tamano
As a public university receiving most of its funding from the City of Manila, PLM operates on an annual budget of more than PhP300 million. With the pledge of Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim to increase the city’s allocation to the University, it shall integrate into the system technical and vocational courses for the underprivileged but deserving students of Manila. These are in addition to its existing fifty-three (53) single-degree undergraduate and forty-nine (49) masters, doctoral and graduate diploma programs offered in twelve (12) colleges, two (2) professional schools and five (5) graduate schools. A set of distance learning programs, an integrated learning center for toddlers, and a score of specialized centers and a training hospital, the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, all contribute to the University’s services to the community.
In the simple language of Atty. Adel A. Tamano, he envisions “PLM as a haven where students are provided education with decent facilities and modern technology, where the faculty and staff receive fair wages, as well as medical, health, and transportation benefits, where the administration is transparent and accountable. These visions may not be grand ones, but if we are able to achieve them, then we would have set the conditions needed by our students to perform at their very best.”
As President Tamano himself has learned of his leadership in PLM, "Leaders must be able to visualize a better future for their organization. They must see beyond limitations and focus on what is achievable." On this, he says, "leadership is vision." Indeed, his pragmatic way of providing appropriate solutions to pervading problems has placed the University on better footing.
President Tamano's visibility within the campus grounds as he embarks on an ocular inspection of the University premises elicits the adulation of both the young scholars and the more experienced faculty and staff. In that way, the President makes sure that all services are optimized towards the upliftment of the academic excellence of PLM and its scholars, and at the same time ensuring that the best interests of the faculty and staff are highly considered.
Together with the University officials, faculty members, employees, alumni, scholars and their families, the Tamano management empowers the PLM community to have a stake in the affairs of the institution. In the process of becoming and developing a new culture of trust, openness, transparency and accountability, everyone appreciates any little opportunity to participate and innovate in reshaping the future of the University and educating the people it serves, particularly the youth.