Manila Observatory - a non-profit scientific research institute belonging to the Ateneo de Manila University. It was founded in 1865 by Jesuit monks, and for many years its history has been used for various purposes, the main of which were and are weather monitoring and prediction of earthquakes. Today, the Observatory conducted research in the area of ​​seismic activity and study the geomagnetic field of the earth.

For the first time the establishment of the observatory was raised in 1865, when a monk Jesuit Jaime Nonell published an article that talked about the observations of the typhoon in September of the same year, another monk Jesuit Francisco Kolya .  This treatise drew the attention of the public, which asked the abbot of the Order of Juan Vidal that the observations were continued .  Initially we had some doubts about the reliability of the information by the Jesuits as the monks have used very primitive tools for weather observation .  Later, however, the Vatican promised to acquire and convey the monks as a gift Universal meteorograph Secchi .  Thus began the systematic study of the Philippine Weather .  In 1879, the monks began to publish warnings about the approaching typhoon, and a year later began the study of earthquakes .  In 1884, the Spanish government officially recognized the observatory main institution to forecast the weather in the Philippines .  A year later began work service time in 1887 - Seismological Laboratory, and in 1899 - an astronomical . 

In 1901, when control of the Philippines in the hands of the United States, the observatory was turned into the Philippine Weather Bureau, whose work was interrupted only during World War II. During the fierce Battle of Manila in 1945, all equipment and important scientific documents were destroyed. Only in 1951, the observatory was able to resume his work, but with a very cut-down functions - its employees engaged in seismological research and study the Earth's ionosphere. In 1963, the observatory was transferred to Ateneo de Manila University, of which it remains to this day.

Research activities of the observatory today is concentrated in areas such as climate change, the study of regional climate systems, geomagnetic research, the study of the dynamics of a hard shell lands and urban air quality, etc.