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.

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.

[15] In World War II, General Douglas MacArthur held command post here, but the entire area was later destroyed by the ongoing military conflict.

[12][16] 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.

[19] 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.

[citation needed] The Board of Regents, which is the governing body of the university,[20] was formally organized in the same year as Villegas appointed the member thereof.

Reyes aggressively expanded the PLM's curriculum to include professional studies in arts and sciences, engineering, architecture, nursing, criminology, and government.

[31] 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.

[40][41] 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.

[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.

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.

[60] Additional funds were made available for the university's physical development;[61] many new facilities were built at the main campus,[61] and the different departments, colleges and schools were restructured.

[73] 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.

[80] PLM continued refurbishing its facilities,[82] including the repair of the school gymnasium, the creation of a faculty lounge, and a health and wellness center.

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.

[85] Under the leadership of Adel Tamano,[83] the administration increased the collection of PLM libraries, and allotted PhP 5 million to purchase new books for 2008.

[44] 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,[1][85] upgrading of the wage and non-wage benefits of employees,[1][82] and enforcing of zero tolerance on corruption,[82] such as placing measures that would keep bidding and contract-awarding transparent and open to scrutiny.

[citation needed] 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.

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.

These are frequently Ramon Magsaysay Awardees who visit PLM while in the capital, as well as scholars, politicians, authors, and religious leaders.

[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.

[72][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.

[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.

The upper sinister side has a flaming torch on the tip of a bamboo handle superimposed over the symbol of the atomic orbits with electrons in red, placed on a white field.

[141] Other authors and media personalities include award-winning screenwriters and directors like Adolfo Alix Jr., Roy C. Iglesias, Florida M. Bautista, Real Florido, and StarStruck creator Rommel Gacho.

PLM alumni serving as CEO or holding key positions in companies include Wilma Galvante (Senior Vice-President for Entertainment at GMA Network), 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), Roberto del Rosario, (Vice President for Operations, IBC), Roberto Juanchito T. Dispo (Senior Vice President of First Metro Investment Corporation, a wholly owned Investment Bank subsidiary of Metrobank), Ricardo F. de Leon, Executive Vice President of Centro Escolar University and former President of the Mindanao State University,[144] Director Nicanor A. Bartolome, Deputy Director-General of the Philippine National Police,[145] Eduardo Cabantog M.D.

[citation needed] PLMayers in academia and research include business management guru Conrado E. Iñigo, Jr.,[146] nurse-educator and author Carlito Balita,[147] Division of City Schools – Manila Superintendent María Luisa Quiñones,[148] immunology expert and first Filipino cosmonaut–doctor Senen A. Reyes,[149][150] and others.