With the noble objective of unconditional service, the Department of Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat (EENT) of the Philippine General Hospital was established in 1911, which was subsequently divided into two: the section of Ophthalmology and the section of Otorhinolaryngology, to expand its scope of service.

In 1961, the UP Board of Regents approved the creation of the department of Ophthalmology, with Dr. Geminiano de Ocampo as the first chairperson. During this period, a formal residency training program in Ophthalmology was introduced and the subspecialty services were established.

In 1999, the "Construction and Creation of a National Eye Referral Center (CCNERC) in the Philippines Project" was conceptualized to help achieve the national goal of decreasing the incidence of reversible blindness, particularly in the poor areas and the underserved regions in the Philippines. The first step in turning the dream into reality was made on February 2000. The department was under the leadership of Dr. Manuel B. Agulto, when a memorandum of agreement between UP and Spain, through the Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion International (AECI) was signed. The Spanish Government to construct an eye center equipped with the state of the art ophthalmic equipment. It was then named Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal, which suggests a union of Spain and the Philippines. The SOJR now serves as the pioneering unit in realizing the PGH's vision of becoming known as one of the best university hospitals in Asia.

Presently, under the leadership of Dr Ildefonso M. Chan, the modern SENTRO houses, among other facilities, the Out Patient Department, which include the General Clinic and Subspecialty clinics, Diagnostics/Treatment, Eye Instrument Center (EIC), Sta. Lucia Eye Bank, Lecture & Conference Hall, Service and Pay Wards, Operating Room Complex, and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (DOVS) of the UP-PGH. The Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal now serves as the pioneering unit in realizing the PGH's vision of becoming known as one of the best university hospitals in Asia.