The Manila Observatory is a nonprofit research Institute that belongs to the Ateneo de Manila University. It was founded in 1865 by Jesuit monks and for many years was used for various purposes, the main of which were and are of weather observation and prediction of earthquakes. Today, the Observatory carries out research in the area of seismic activity and the study of the geomagnetic field of the earth.

For the first time the question of the establishment of the Observatory was raised in 1865, when a monk is a Jesuit Jaime Nonell published an article in which he described the observations of the Typhoon in September of the same year by another monk Jesuit Francisco Kolya. This treatise has attracted the attention of the public, which appealed to the Abbot of the order of Juan Vidal that the observations were continued. Initially there were some doubts about the reliability of the received information by the Jesuits, as the monks used very primitive tools for weather observation. Later, however, the Vatican promised to acquire and transfer to 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 main Observatory Institute for weather forecasting in the Philippines. A year later started the time service, in 1887, seismological laboratory, and in 1899 – astronomical.

In 1901, when control of the Philippines was in the hands of the USA, the Observatory was converted into the Philippine Weather Bureau, whose work was interrupted only during the Second World war. During a fierce Battle for Manila in 1945 all the important scientific equipment and documents were destroyed. Only in 1951, the Observatory was able to resume his work, but with very limited features is its employees engaged in seismological research and study of the Earth's ionosphere. In 1963, the Observatory was transferred to the Ateneo de Manila University, part of which she remains to this day.

The research activities of the Observatory today is concentrated in such areas as climate change, the study of regional climate systems, geomagnetic research, the study of the dynamics of solid earth and urban air-quality, etc.