Established in 1989 by nine Filipino journalists, the organization funds investigative projects for both the print and broadcast media.

[4] Sheila Coronel, Petronilo Daroy, Lorna Kalaw-Tirol, Malou Mangahas, Horacio Severino, Rosario Tanedo, Rigoberto Tiglao, Marites Vitug, and Virgilio Vitug founded the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism in 1989.

[3] It presented articles from reputable newspapers across the nation, examining the viewpoints of women across various sectors.

[7] In 2016, PCIJ organized a series of workshop on investigating election finance, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.

It provides grants for projects that expose human rights abuses, misuse of public funds, and threats to free expression and press freedom.