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Ermita | |
---|---|
District of Manila | |
Country | Philippines |
Region | National Capital Region |
City | Manila |
District | Part of the 5th district of Manila |
Barangays | 13 |
Area | |
• Total | 1.59 km2 (0.61 sq mi) |
Population (2020) [1] | |
• Total | 19,189 |
• Density | 12,000/km2 (31,000/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+08:00 (Philippine Standard Time) |
ZIP code | 1000 (Manila CPO) |
Area codes | 02 |
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.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(June 2009) |
The town of Ermita was originally known as Lagyo in Tagalog. It was in close proximity to Manila.
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.
— Miguel de Loarca, Relacion de Yslas Filipinas (1582) [2]
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. [3]
The hermitage has since evolved into Ermita Church, which has been rebuilt several times since the early 17th century. [4] 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. [5]
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, and was once located on a street now renamed 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, although it still has a surviving cousin language spoken in nearby Cavite.[ citation needed ]
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 the city of Manila, [6] 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 the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Government buildings housing 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 never materialized. [7]
It also became known as the university district, containing the campuses and dormitories of the Philippine Normal University, [8] 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. [9]
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 also that was built was the Insular Ice Plant, which was designed by consulting architect, Edgar K. Bourne, who was also the head of the Bureau of Architecture in 1902 (under the Philippine Commission).
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 in the city itself. [10]
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. [11] During the first term of Mayor Alfredo Lim, 1992–1998, an effort was 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. [12] As a result of the clean-up efforts, 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.
The district can be directly accessed by the main roads like the 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 located in Ermita, Central Terminal Station, United Nations Station and Pedro Gil Station.
Pasig River Ferry Service has a ferry station in the district, named Lawton.
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:
A number of educational institutions are also found in Ermita, including:
Ermita is made up of 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.
Zone/Barangay | Land area (km2) | Population (2020 census) |
---|---|---|
Zone 71 | ||
Barangay 659 | 0.1403 km2 | 361 |
Barangay 659-A | 0.3553 km2 | 2,607 |
Barangay 660 | 0.05628 km2 | 332 |
Barangay 660-A | 0.1159 km2 | 2,457 |
Barangay 661 | 0.1222 km2 | 441 |
Barangay 663 | 0.05173 km2 | 604 |
Barangay 663-A | 0.07525 km2 | 403 |
Barangay 664 | 0.1429 km2 | 456 |
Zone 72 | ||
Barangay 666 | 0.6910 km2 | 810 |
Barangay 667 | 0.1991 km2 | 2,371 |
Barangay 668 | 0.1559 km2 | 2,645 |
Barangay 669 | 0.2455 km2 | 2,928 |
Barangay 670 | 0.1419 km2 | 2,774 |
Metropolitan Manila, commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region, is the capital region and largest metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay, the region lies between the Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions. Encompassing an area of 619.57 km2 (239.22 sq mi) and with a population of 13,484,462 as of 2020, it is composed of sixteen highly urbanized cities: the capital city, Manila, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, along with one independent municipality, Pateros. As the second most populous and the most densely populated region in the Philippines, it ranks as the 9th most populous metropolitan area in Asia and the 6th most populous urban area in the world.
Parañaque, officially the City ofParañaque, is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 689,992 people.
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most-populous city of the Philippines. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon, it is classified as a highly urbanized city. As of 2019, it is the world's most densely populated city proper. It was the first chartered city in the country, and was designated as such by the Philippine Commission Act No. 183 on July 31, 1901. It became autonomous with the passage of Republic Act No. 409, "The Revised Charter of the City of Manila", on June 18, 1949. Manila is considered to be part of the world's original set of global cities because its commercial networks were the first to extend across the Pacific Ocean and connect Asia with the Spanish Americas through the galleon trade; when this was accomplished, it was the first time an uninterrupted chain of trade routes circling the planet had been established.
Cavite City, officially the City of Cavite, is a 2nd class component city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 100,674 people.
Rizal Park, Luneta, also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an area of 58 hectares. The site on where the park is situated was originally known as Bagumbayan during the Spanish colonial period. It is adjacent to the historic Walled City of Intramuros.
Ternate, officially the Municipality of Ternate, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 24,653 people.
Malate is a district of Manila, Philippines. Together with the district of Ermita, it serves as Manila's center for commerce and tourism.
The University Belt is the name of a de facto subdistrict in Manila, Philippines, referring to an area that has a significant concentration of major colleges and universities in the city. The districts of Quiapo, Sampaloc, and San Miguel are traditionally considered to be the University Belt, although other clusters of schools that lie along the southern bank of the Pasig River, mostly at the districts of Intramuros and Ermita, as well as the southernmost part of Malate near the city limits are also sometimes included. Each of the colleges and universities found in the district are a short walking distance of each other.
Roxas Boulevard is a popular waterfront promenade in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees. The divided roadway has become a trademark of Philippine tourism, famed for its yacht club, hotels, restaurants, commercial buildings and parks.
Taft Avenue is a major road in the south of Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippines and U.S. President, William Howard Taft; the Philippines was a former commonwealth territory of the United States in the first half of the 20th century. The avenue is a component of National Route 170 (N170), a secondary road in the Philippine highway network, and anchors R-2 of the Manila arterial road network.
In Metro Manila, Philippines, tourism is a significant industry. In 2012, the city and the region welcomed 974,379 overnight visitors. Serving as the main gateway to the Philippines' numerous destinations, the city attracts mainly international tourists, with a total of 3,139,756 visitors in 2012. Global Blue ranks Manila as the eleventh 'Best Shopping Destination' in Asia. The city holds the tenth position in MasterCard's global top 20 fastest-growing cities for international visitors from 2009 to 2013.
Pedro Gil Street is an east-west inner city street and a tertiary national road in south-central Manila, Philippines. It is 3.65 kilometers (2.27 mi) long and spans the entire length of Ermita, Malate, Paco, and Santa Ana. The street is served by the Pedro Gil LRT Station along Taft Avenue and the Paco railway station along Quirino Avenue. It also continues towards the central Metro Manila cities of Mandaluyong and San Juan across the Pasig River as New Panaderos and General Kalentong Streets.
Kalaw Avenue is a short stretch of road in the Ermita district of Manila, Philippines. It forms the southern boundary of Rizal Park running east–west from San Marcelino Street to Roxas Boulevard near the center of the city. It begins as a four-lane road at the intersection with San Marcelino widening to an eight-lane divided roadway along the stretch of Rizal Park from Taft Avenue west to Roxas Boulevard. It has a short extension into the reclaimed area of Luneta and Quirino Grandstand as South Drive. The avenue's main section between Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard is assigned as National Route 155 (N155) of the Philippine highway network.
President Elpidio Quirino Avenue, more commonly known as Quirino Avenue, is a 6-10 lane divided highway in Manila, Philippines. It runs for 3.6 kilometers (2.2 mi) in a northeast–southwest direction from Nagtahan Bridge across from Santa Mesa in the north to Roxas Boulevard in Malate in the south. It passes through Paco and Pandacan districts where it also serves as a truck route between Port Area and South Luzon Expressway. North of Nagtahan Bridge, the road continues as Nagtahan Street. It is designated as part of Circumferential Road 2.
The Luneta Hotel is a historic hotel in Manila, Philippines. Named after its location across from Luneta on Kalaw Avenue in Ermita, it is one of the remaining structures that survived the Liberation of Manila in 1945. The hotel was completed in 1919. According to the study by Dean Joseph Fernandez of the University of Santo Tomas, the hotel was designed by the Spanish architect-engineer Salvador Farre. The structure is the only remaining example of French Renaissance architecture with Filipino stylized beaux arts in the Philippines to date. After being closed down and abandoned in 1987, the hotel was relaunched in May 2014 with the installation of a historical marker by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guidance, also known as Ermita Shrine or Ermita Church is a shrine located in the district of Ermita in the city of Manila, Philippines. The church is home to the Marian image of the Immaculate Concepcion known as Nuestra Señora de Guía, which is considered to be oldest in the Philippines, and in whose honor the church is officially named after and dedicated to.
Elpidio Quirino Avenue, also known simply as Quirino Avenue, is a major north-south collector road in Parañaque, southern Metro Manila, Philippines. It is a four-lane undivided arterial running parallel to Roxas Boulevard and its extension, the Manila–Cavite Expressway, to the west from Baclaran at Parañaque's border with Pasay in the north to San Dionisio right by the border with Las Piñas in the south. It is a continuation of Harrison Avenue from Pasay and was originally a segment of the coastal highway called Calle Real. The entire road is a component of Radial Road 2 (R-2) of Manila's arterial road network, while its segment south of NAIA Road is a component of National Route 62 (N62) of the Philippine highway network. It was named after President Elpidio Quirino. The road's name is also applied alternatively to Diego Cera Avenue in Las Piñas.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Metro Manila: