Several administrators from Lyceum of the Philippines University attended the annual general assembly of the South Manila Educational Consortium (SMEC) held at the Philippine Women’s University (PWU) last September 18, 2019.  

Ms. Ma. Christina Aquino, Executive Director of the Department of Standards and Linkages and the university’s SMEC liaison officer, led the delegation of LPU administrators which also included officers from the Research and Innovation Center (RIC) and other offices and departments. Ms. Joanna Juvyjoy Rojo represented Dr. Victorina Zosa, Executive Director of RIC at the SMEC General Assembly. 

In the general assembly, the 12 committees—the committees of Liaison, Ethics, Library, Information Technology, Registrar, Academe-Industry, Student Affairs, Cultural, Research, Social Mobilization, and Curriculum and Instruction—discussed their plans for AY 2019-2020 along with problems currently faced and accomplishments of each committee for the previous school year. Members of each committee presented their plans for approval by the Board of Trustees, which is composed of university and college presidents of the member schools. Each committee plan is based on SMEC’s strategy of Transformed Intramuros, Malate, Ermita (TIME) which is aimed at making the Intramuros, Malate, and Ermita—areas where the member schools are located—as an educational hub.  

The SMEC was established in 1974 to foster and maximize institutional resources among member schools located in Taft Avenue, Manila. Membership was then expanded to include institutions located nearby. The members of SMEC are Adamson University, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, De La Salle University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippine Christian University, Philippine Normal University, Philippine Women’s University, Santa Isabel College, St. Paul University-Manila, St. Scholastica’s College, and University of the Philippines-Manila.