• Source: Ermita

Ermita is a district in central Manila, Philippines. It is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of Manila, bearing the seat of city government and a large portion of the area's employment, business, and entertainment activities.
Private and government offices, museums, and universities thrive in Ermita. It is also home to several tourist attractions and landmarks, including Rizal Park.
Ermita and its neighboring district Malate were originally posh neighborhoods for Manila's high society during the early 20th century, where large, grandiose mansions once stood. Ermita and its surroundings were heavily bombed and flattened during the Second World War after it became a battleground during the Manila massacre. After the war, Ermita and its twin district, Malate, had undergone commercialization, shifting from a sprawling upscale suburb to a commercial district.




History






= Kingdom of Luzon

=
The town of Ermita was originally called Lagyo in Tagalog. It was close to Manila.




= Spanish rule (1570–1898)

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During Spanish rule, the town was recorded by Miguel de Loarca in 1582:

On the coast near Manila are Laguo, Malahat, Longalo, Palañac, Vakol, Minacaya, and Cavite. All these settlements are in the neighborhood of Cavite, and belong to his Majesty, to whom they pay tribute.
Lagyo was re-christened in the 17th century as La Hermita (Spanish for "the hermitage") after the fact that a Mexican hermit resided in the area and on this site was built a hermitage housing an image of the Virgin Mary known as the Nuestra Señora de Guia (Our Lady of Guidance). The hermit-priest's name was Juan Fernandez de Leon, who was a hermit in Mexico before relocating to Manila.
The hermitage has since evolved into Ermita Church, rebuilt several times since the early 17th century. During the Spanish evacuation of Ternate in present-day Indonesia, the 200 families of mixed Mexican-Filipino-Spanish and Papuan-Indonesian-Portuguese descent who had ruled over the Christianized Sultanate of Ternate and included their sultan who converted, were relocated to Ternate, Cavite, and Ermita, Manila.
By the 19th century, although still considered as an "arrabal ", which refers to a rural area, urban expansion had slowly reached the northern portion of the district mainly due to the development of the Luneta, also called Bagumbayan, as a promenade at the coast of Manila Bay. The district also saw the construction of the Manila Observatory by Father Federico Faura during the early 1890s. It was once located on a street now named after Fr. Faura himself. Ermita then developed a creole language based on Spanish called Ermiteño, which eventually became extinct after the devastation of the Second World War. However, it still has a surviving cousin language spoken in nearby Cavite.




= American and Commonwealth era (1900–1944)

=

Ermita gained renewed prominence during the American and Commonwealth era. As part of Daniel Burnham's plans for Manila, influenced by the City Beautiful movement during the early 1900s, Ermita, alongside Intramuros' surrounding areas, had undergone a drastic redevelopment from being the outskirts to urban districts. In 1901, with the chartering of Manila, Ermita would be absorbed by the city of Manila when its area was expanded outside the walled Intramuros.
Burnham envisioned the district, especially in the northern portion, to be the center of the Philippine government, redeveloping Luneta into a grand park patterned after that of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Government buildings housing the legislative, executive and judicial branches were planned to be located in the area. A proposed Philippine capitol was also planned to be built at the eastern tip of Luneta Park but never materialized.

It also became known as the university district, containing the campuses and dormitories of the Philippine Normal University, the University of the Philippines, the Ateneo de Manila, the Adamson University, the Assumption College and St. Paul College. The residential portion of Ermita was populated by American residents, who set up such establishments as the Army and Navy Club and the University Club.
Aside from its universities and leisure clubs, Ermita district, as well as its adjacent district, Malate, which both happened to be facing Manila Bay, were once home to Manila's high society and were filled with large, gilded mansions. Manila's wealthiest families used to live in the twin suburbs.
One notable structure built was the Insular Ice Plant, designed by consulting architect Edgar K. Bourne, who was also the head of the Bureau of Architecture in 1902 (under the Philippine Commission).




= Second World War (1942–1945)

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In February 1945, during the 1945 Battle of Manila, Ermita was the scene of some of the most horrific massacres that occurred during the Second World War. The wife and four children of future President Elpidio Quirino were murdered in Ermita, as was Supreme Court Associate Justice Anacleto Diaz. Between 68% and 85% of Ermita was destroyed during the Battle of Manila, with an estimated total of 100,000 Filipino civilians killed within the city.




= Post-war era (1946–present)

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After the war, the district slowly transformed from a residential area into a commercial area as the upper classes moved to other cities such as Quezon City and Makati.
Ermita was rebuilt after the devastation of the war. University life remained vibrant therein. However, as decades passed, Ermita started earning a reputation as the red-light district of Manila. During the first term of Mayor Alfredo Lim, 1992–1998, efforts were made to "clean up" Ermita's image and reputation. However, a local city ordinance prohibiting the establishment of motels, lodging houses, and other similar establishments was later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Nightlife in the area dwindled, though it later picked up with the help of the emergence of the nearby Malate district and the Roxas Boulevard revitalization efforts along Manila Bay.




Accessibility



The district can be directly accessed by the main roads such as Roxas Boulevard, Padre Burgos Street, Taft Avenue and United Nations Avenue. Lawton Park N Ride, the city's main public transport hub, is located in the district along Padre Burgos Street, as well as the Manila Multimodal Terminal near the Pasig River.
The Manila Light Rail Transit System (LRT-1) follows Taft Avenue and stops at three stations in Ermita, namely Central Terminal station, United Nations station and Pedro Gil station.
Pasig River Ferry Service has a ferry station in the district named Lawton.




Facilities






= Culture, Heritage, History and Recreation

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Rizal Park, a prominent feature of Ermita, is one of the largest urban public parks in the country and the location of the monument to the national hero José Rizal. It was the original site for Burnham's planned government center and the capitol building. Other sites of interest in Ermita include:

National Museum of Fine Arts
National Museum of Anthropology
National Museum of Natural History
National Library of the Philippines
National Archives of the Philippines
Museo Pambata
Quirino Grandstand
Manila Ocean Park
Liwasang Bonifacio
Arroceros Forest Park
Bonifacio Shrine
Mehan Garden
Metropolitan Theater
Manila Hotel
The Masonic Temple of Ermita
Philippine Independent Church
San Vicente de Paul Church
Ermita Church




= Institutions

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Insurance Commission
Manila Doctors Hospital
Medical Center Manila
Department of Justice (Philippines)
National Bureau of Investigation
Philippine General Hospital, the country's largest hospital
Supreme Court of the Philippines
Court of Appeals of the Philippines
World Health Organization Western Pacific Region Headquarters
Embassy of the United States




= Education

=

A number of educational institutions are also found in Ermita, including:

University of the Philippines Manila
Adamson University
Emilio Aguinaldo College
Santa Isabel College Manila
Philippine Normal University
Technological University of the Philippines
Universidad de Manila (formerly the City College of Manila)
Manila Science High School
Araullo High School




Barangays


Ermita comprises 13 barangays numbered 659, 659-A, 660, 660-A, 661, 663, 663-A, 664, 666, 667, 668, 669, and 670.
Barangays 659 to 664 are part of Zone 71 of the City of Manila, while barangays 666 to 670 are part of Zone 72.




In popular culture


Ermita was referenced in pop/rock band Eraserheads's song Ang Huling El Bimbo from their 1995 studio album Cutterpillow.




References



Aluit, Alfonso (1994). "The Christian City". By Sword and Fire: The Destruction of Manila in World War II 3 February – 3 March 1945. Philippines: National Commission for Culture and the Arts. pp. 85–89. ISBN 971-8521-10-0.

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