UMPIL held its first meeting in 1974 at the Social Security System Building in Quezon City. Organized to unite Filipino writers and promote Philippine literature, UMPIL?s first set of officers were Adrian E. Cristobal, chairperson, J.V. Cruz, vice-chairperson, and Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, secretary-general. Its first major project was hosting the Afro-Asian Writer?s Symposium held from January 3 to February 3, 1975 in Manila.