It is located at 556 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, three blocks south of Rockefeller Center and north of the New York Public Library Main Branch in Bryant Park.

On September 15, 2005, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo made a historic official visit to the Philippine Center New York, the first by a ruling Filipino head of state.

It is composed of two adjoining buildings located on Sutter Street, a block away from the prestigious Union Square and within a mile of San Francisco's financial district.

The collection includes works by National Artists such as Hernando R. Ocampo, Vicente Manansala, Cesar Legaspi, Arturo Luz, Ang Kiukok and Jose Joya.

The works of Manuel Rodriguez, the Father of Philippine Printmaking, Venancio C. Igarta, Hugo C. Yonzon II, Malang, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Angelito Antonio, Norma Belleza, Eduardo Castrillo and Juvenal Sanso were also displayed.

The public exhibit was officially presented as Pamana: Modernong Sining (A Heritage of Modern Art), to celebrate the 109th anniversary of the Philippine Declaration of Independence.