The City of Malabon University (CMU) has received formal institutional recognition from the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), a landmark achievement 33 years in the making, Mayor Jeannie Sandoval announced.

Sandoval said the national certification will strengthen the credibility of the university’s diplomas and unlock access to national government scholarships, student financial aid, and institutional development grants.

The recognition follows a multiyear effort by the local government to rescue the university’s standing.

Before Sandoval took office, the institution lost its eligibility for free higher education benefits under the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) during the 2022–2023 academic year because of compliance failures.

She stressed that she understood the heavy burden the suspension placed on working-class families who relied on the subsidy to keep their children in college.

“While we were processing all compliance requirements to restore the university’s UniFAST eligibility from 2023 to the present, we did not abandon the education of our youth,” Sandoval said.

To bridge the funding gap, the city government allocated more than 150 million pesos annually from local funds to sustain the university’s daily operations and prevent student dropouts.

The local administration simultaneously overhauled the university’s governance systems, upgraded program certifications, and streamlined documentation to meet rigid national quality standards.

“The true measure of a city’s progress is how it gives young people the opportunity to dream and succeed,” Sandoval said. “We believe that a child’s dream should not stop simply because of a lack of support or opportunity.”