On November 23, 1983, a group of people gathered at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Board Room to discuss the formation of the national chapter of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). After subsequent meetings, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved the registration of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) on April 13, 1984.

The Board of Trustees consisted of eleven elected members. The Cultural Center of the Philippines, the National Library, and the Children’s Communication Center are permanent members, represented by their heads, while eight elective members serving for two years are selected by the Board from among writers, illustrators, publishers, booksellers, librarians, educators, book reviewers and researchers. In later years, the permanent members would include Museo Pambtata and the CCC would cease to exist. As for the elective members, there would be new sectors included: mass media, basic education, tertiary education, storytellers and reading advocacy.

The first officers if the Board were Lucrecia R. Kasilag of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Chair; Dr. Serafin Quiason from the National Library, Vice-Chair; Virgilio S. Almario from the Children’s Communication Center, Secretary-General; and Dr. Cristina Lim-Yuson from the Early Learning Center, Treasurer.

Trustees were writer Rene O. Villanueva, critic Alfrredo Navarro Salanga, cartoonist Larry Alcala, publisher Gloria F. Rodriguez, bookseller Socorro C. Ramos, researcher Carol L. Afan, and Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. president Angelica Cabanero.

In later years, the PBBY stopped being the national chapter of IBBY due to financial constraints. But through its almost four decades of existence, PBBY has continued with its many projects, being true to its current mission: “every child a reader, every reader a lover of books.” The PBBY is the lead agency in the celebration of National Children’s Book Day every third Tuesday of July. It also organizes various competitions that help develop local children’s authorship and illustration: the PBBY-Salanga Prize for writers; the PBBY-Alcala Prize for illustrators; and, the PBBY Wordless Book Prize which promotes the underappreciated wordless book genre. Aside from these, PBBY has also organized workshops on children’s librarianship, writing, illustrating, storytelling and literature-based teaching.

Every two years since 2010, it has worked with the National Book Development Board in awarding the National Children’s Book Awards (NCBA) , the most prestigious honor for children’s publications. The NCBA awards the 10 best reads from the last two years. Alternately with the NCBA, the PBBY holds the Children’s Book Summit, a conference for professionals working for and with children.