The Brutalist facility has been the host of numerous local and foreign conventions, meetings, fairs, and social events.

"[9] The construction of the conference center complex was undertaken in a short span of 23 months, from November 1974 to September 1976,[citation needed] with Leandro Locsin, who was subsequently named a National Artist of the Philippines, as architect.

[10] On September 5, 1976, the PICC, Asia's first international convention center, was officially opened ahead of its first major event, the 1976 IMF–World Bank Meeting scheduled on October 4–8.

In 1986, the PICC Plenary Hall hosted the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) canvassing of the presidential snap elections, where a walkout occurred to protest the alleged electoral manipulation favoring President Ferdinand Marcos, an event considered as the triggering factor leading to the People Power Revolution.

[17] In March 2011, "The Feast," a weekly prayer meeting of the Light of Jesus Family founded by Bo Sanchez, began holding its sessions at the PICC.

[17] Surrounding the Reception and Plenary Halls are reflecting pools, while open-air facilities like The Courtyard and The Garden are also present within the complex.

It was jointly organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the curator of the garden, in commemoration of the APEC Philippines 1996.

The countries that donated their sculptures to the garden include Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, United States and Vietnam.