Philippine Women's University

Philippine Women's University (PWU) is a private, non-sectarian university on Taft Avenue in Malate, Manila. It opened its first classes on June 9, 1919 as the Philippine Women's College, founded by seven Filipino women -- Clara Aragon, Concepcion Aragon, Francisca Tirona Benitez, Paz Marquez Benitez, Carolina Ocampo Palma, Mercedes Rivera, and Socorro Marquez Zaballero -- with an initial enrollment of 190 students. It was the first university founded by Asian women in Asia, and the American colonial government granted it university status in 1932. PWU established the first College of Home Economics in the Philippines in 1928, followed by its Institute of Human Adjustment in 1948. Once exclusive to women, PWU has admitted both men and women since the 1970s. It now offers Senior High School alongside undergraduate and graduate programs. Three of its programs, Business Administration, Food Technology, and Hotel and Restaurant Management, hold the highest Level IV accreditation from PACUCOA. The university operates a library, registrar services, a career and placement office, and an online enrollment system for students.