Ermita is a district in Manila, Philippines. Located at the central part of the city, the district is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of the city, 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 famous tourist attractions and landmarks, notably the Rizal Park, the premier national park of the Philippines.
Originally, Ermita and its neighboring district Malate were 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 resulting in a shift from being a sprawling upscale suburb to a commercial district.
History
Hispanic era (1569–1898)
In pre-Hispanic times, it was originally known as Lagyo in Tagalog. This is reflected in the first record of the barangay in 1582:
"On the coast near Manila are Laguo, Malahat, Longalo, Palañac, Vakol, Minacaya, and Cavite. All these villages are in the neighborhood of Cavite, and belong to his Majesty, to whom they pay tribute."
Miguel de Loarca, Relacion de Yslas Filipinas (1582)
Lagyo was re-christened in the 17th century as La Hermita, the Spanish word for "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, which has been rebuilt several times since the early 17th century. During the Spanish evacuation of Ternate, 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 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, and was once located on a street now renamed after Fr. Faura himself. Ermita then developed a creole language based on Mexican Spanish called Ermiteño, which eventually became extinct after the devastation of the Second World War, although it still has a surviving cousin language spoken in nearby Cavite.
American and Commonwealth era (1900–1944)
Ermita gained renewed prominence during the American & Commonwealth Era. As part of Daniel Burnham's City Beautiful Movement during the early 1900s, Ermita district alongside Intramuros' surrounding areas had undergone a drastic redevelopment from being the outskirts to urban districts. In 1901, with the chartering of the city of Manila, Ermita would be absorbed by the city of Manila when its borders were extended 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 National Mall in Washington D.C. Government buildings such as the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches were also 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 was never materialized.
It also became known as the university district, containing the campuses and dormitories of the Philippine Normal University, University of the Philippines, the Ateneo de Manila, 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.