The resources of the three leading universities in the country, namely, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines could be tapped to form a Consortium in the Mathematical Sciences able to offer a local Ph. D. program in mathematics. The dearth of Ph. D.'s posed a problem when it came to thesis advising. The theses were, of course, to be of international standard. The solution to the problem was the creation of the sandwich program. D. students take the academic courses in any of the three universities.
Students go to a university abroad to start thesis research with a foreign adviser.
Students return home to complete the thesis with a local adviser. The study done abroad is sandwiched between studies done at home, whence the name. Subsequently the growing exchanges between local universities and universities in the region provided similar opportunities. In its twenty-year existence the program has produced 45 scholars. Of these 31 were in the sandwich program.