Ermita, Manila

Ermita
Location of Ermita in Manila's 5th legislative district
Country	Philippines
Region	National Capital Region
City	Manila
Congressional districts	Part of the 5th district of Manila
Barangays	13
Area
• Total	1.59 km2 (0.61 sq mi)
Population (2007)
• Total	6,205
• Density	3,900/km2 (10,000/sq mi)

This page is about a place in the Philippines, for the novel, see Ermita (novel).

Ermita is a district of Manila and is a major commercial, financial, and cultural center of the city. Many hotels, casinos, offices and some telecommunications companies in the United States are based here. Ermita is also the home to famous landmarks, government offices, tourist attractions, museums, and universities. It is the center of Manila and the Manila metropolitan region, hosting the seat of city government and a large portion of the area's employment, business, and entertainment activities.

History

Ermita was founded in the late 16th century. The name was taken from La Hermita, the Spanish word for "hermitage", after the fact that 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 hermitage has since evolved into Ermita Church, which has been rebuilt several times since the early 17th century.

Ermita gained renewed prominence during the American colonial period. It became known as the university district, containing the campuses of the University of the Philippines, the Ateneo de Manila, the Assumption College and the St. Paul College for girls. Dormitories for students also flourished in the area. 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.

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

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 term of Mayor Alfredo Lim, an effort was made to "clean up" Ermita, helping improve its reputation since then. However, a local city ordinance prohibiting the establishment, on grounds of public morality, of motels, lodging houses and other similar establishments, was later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. As a result of the clean-up efforts, nightlife in the area dwindled though it has picked up of late with the help of the emergence of the nearby Malate district and the Roxas Blvd. Baywalk area in the nightlife scene.

Ermiteño was a Spanish-creole that was spoken in Ermita, and lingua franca in the neighbourhood until the end of WWII. It is believed to be extinct today.^{[citation needed]}

Sites of interest

Several government institutions are housed in Ermita, including the

• Supreme Court of the Philippines
• Court of Appeals
• Manila City Hall
• Manila Central Post Office

and other offices found along the old government center designed during the American era by architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham, such as the

• Department of Tourism and the
• National Museum of the Philippines (including the Museum of the Filipino People)
• Rizal Park, the widest open urban public park in the country and location of the monument to the national hero José Rizal, is a prominent feature of Ermita. This was the original site for Burnham's planned government center and capitol building.

Other sites of interest in Ermita include:

• United States Embassy
• National Library of the Philippines
• Quirino Grandstand
• Manila Ocean Park
• Bonifacio's Wall
• Metropolitan Theater
• Manila Hotel
• Masonic Temple
• National Cathedral of the Philippine Independent Church
• San Vicente de Paul Church
• Philippine General Hospital, the country's largest hospital.
• China Airlines Philippines Branch Office

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

• University of the Philippines Manila
• Adamson University
• Emilio Aguinaldo College
• Santa Isabel College
• Philippine Normal University
• Technological University of the Philippines
• Universidad de Manila (formerly the City College of Manila)
• Manila Science High School, which leads the city in offering specialized science and technology oriented curricula for secondary education

Ermita also hosts a number of coin shops and antique shops.

Barangays

Zone 71: 659, 659-A, 660, 660-A, 661, 663, 663-A, 664
Zone 72: 666, 667, 668, 669, 670

Barangays of Ermita

Name	Population
Barangay 659	&10000000000000499000000499
Barangay 659-A	&10000000000000369000000369
Barangay 660	&10000000000000682000000682
Barangay 660-A	&10000000000000691000000691
Barangay 661	&10000000000000220000000220
Barangay 663	&10000000000000477000000477
Barangay 663-A	&10000000000000377000000377
Barangay 664	&10000000000000292000000292
Barangay 666	&10000000000000191000000191
Barangay 667	&100000000000011600000001,160
Barangay 668	&10000000000000702000000702
Barangay 669	&10000000000000290000000290
Barangay 670	&10000000000000255000000255

References

ERMITA.COM - Ermita District, City of Manila

• 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.