Being the first Batch of students of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila when it opened in 1967 as the first tuition-free university in the Phillippines—they are your Kuya and Ate, the eldest in the Pamantasan family.
Being a scholar does not mean all work and no play; it’s not all study, study and study.
Remember this song, “Let me tell you about the birds and the bees And the flowers and the trees. And the moon up above And a thing called “love.”
Here is how your older sisters and brothers spent their time courting and eventually enjoying their beloved sweethearts’ company while studying there.
They were teens, and that was when they realized they needed someone to be in their life.
It was a real challenge to have girlfriends/boyfriends and, at the same time, maintain their grades, ensuring scholarships in the university.
Having their loved one on their side inspired them to face the rigours of maintaining the grades required to remain in good condition, thus avoiding being kicked out of the university.
Aside from the university ground, these loving birds could often be seen promenading Luneta park, lazing around the surrounding areas in Intramuros, or simply cozying up at the Chinese Garden, a stone’s throw away from the university.
Of course, it was not always a “good time” for these couples; most of the time, they could also be seen studying together or doing some research at the National Library, Kamaynilaan, Little Library at the Luneta Park, and the Thomas Jefferson Library at Sta, Mesa. It was not surprising for one to bump them somewhere at the National Bookstores.
And the happiest part was waiting for their loved ones to come out from their classes while their boyfriends stayed just a few meters from the classroom or stood by at the school’s façade.
Why the wait? They would walk together to Quiapo, where they would get their jeepneys in going home. Sometimes, a guy would accompany her girlfriend to the bus stop near the school, staying behind because he had no extra money to go with his girlfriend.
I heard some stories some couples would even share together their snacks, “walang pera kasi kaya hati sa hopia, hati pa sa coke, ganon ka hirap ng buhay noon.”.
Then, in every nook and cranny of the school, you would find them flirting and courting the “apples of their eyes,” making the little corners of the university their haven for their regular rendezvous.
Being always together, they had become regular faces in the university, roaming its ground.
Even the courtship was much more manageable, with no need for some background checks because since most of these couples were classmates, your sisters had witnessed the mental capabilities of those young men trying to win over their hearts.
As the years went by, some of the men in the First Batch had gotten their girlfriends from the subsequent batches.
Since the PLM started in 1967 with 556 pioneers, no wonder everyone knew everyone else.
But once they have been lovestruck, no amount of advice could stop them from pursuing the dream of their life.
Their undying love for each other prodded them to help each other through life as one, reaching the heights of success in their respective careers.
Look at these couples now; most have become successful in their chosen careers in the Philippines, and a number have gone abroad to make a living in a new environment.
Although most of these couples eventually get married, a handful has parted ways for some reason or another—but that is what we would say “That’s Life.”
Life is uncertain; whatever is yours today is gone tomorrow, people change, and situations change.
Even if these couples did not make it together as husband and wife, in their separate ways, they have become a big success too because of their innate talents and abilities nurtured by the kind of education they had at their alma mater—The PLM.
