Rizal, officially the Province of Rizal (Filipino: Lalawigan ng Rizal), is a province in
the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is the city of Antipolo. It is about
16 kilometres (9.9 mi) east of Manila. The province is named after José Rizal, one of the main
national heroes of the Philippines. Rizal is bordered by Metro Manila to the west, Bulacan to the
north, Quezon to the east and Laguna to the southeast. The province also lies on the northern
shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country. Rizal is a mountainous province perched
on the western slopes of the southern portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range.
Pasig served as its capital until 2008, even it became a part of the newly created National Capital
Region since November 7, 1975. A provincial capitol has been in Antipolo since 2009, making it the
administrative center. On June 19, 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11475,
which designated Antipolo as the capital of Rizal.[3][4] The change took place on July 7, 2020.
This province is a part of Greater Manila Area.
Tagalog settlement arrived some time in the pre-Spanish period. The provincial territory began with
the organization of the Tondo province and Laguna province during the Spanish administration.
Some of the towns like Pasig, Parañaque, Taytay and Cainta were already thriving.
From the reports of the Encomiendas in 1582–1583, the Encomiendas of Moron (Morong) was
under the jurisdiction of La Laguna and, the Encomiendas of Passi (Pasig), Taitay (Taytay)
and Tagui (Taguig) belonged to the Province of Tondo. It was recorded that in 1591, the
Encomiendas of Moron and Taitay were under the jurisdiction of the Franciscan Order in the
Province of La Laguna; and the Encomiendas of Nabotas (Navotas), Tambobo (Malabon), Tondo,
Parañaque (then La Huerta, Parañaque), Longalo (Don Galo, Parañaque), Tagui and Pasig were
under the jurisdiction of the Augustinians in the Province of Tondo.
In 1853, a new political subdivision named Distrito Politico-Militar de los Montes de San
Mateo (transl. Politico-Militar District of the San Mateo Mountains) was formed.[5] This consisted of
the towns of Antipolo, Bosoboso, Cainta and Taytay from the Province of Tondo; and the towns
of Morong, Baras, Tanay, Pililla, Angono, Binangonan and Jala-jala from the Province of La Laguna,
with the capital at Morong. This district was changed to Distrito Politico-Militar de Morong four years
later.[6]
In 1860, by virtue of Circular No. 83, dated September 2, 1785, the Province of Tondo became
the Province of Manila. All its towns were placed under the administration, fiscal supervision and
control of the Governor of the new province.
The town of Mariquina (Marikina) became the capital of the Province of Manila during the tenure of
the revolutionary government of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. The Politico-Military District of Morong had
for its capital the town of Antipolo from 1898 to 1899 and the town of Tanay from 1899 to 1900.
On February 6, the First Philippine Commission sought to establish civil government in the country
through a provincial organization act after the Filipino-Spanish and Filipino-American conflicts.
Therefore, on June 5, 1901, a historic meeting was held at the Pasig Catholic Church for the
organization of a civil government in the Province of Manila and District of Morong, with 221
delegates in attendance.[7] The first Philippine Commission, headed by William Howard Taft and
composed of Commissioners Luke E. Wright, Henry C. Ide, Bernard Moses and Dean C. Worcester,
discussed with the Assembly the issue of whether or not to write the Province of Manila with the
District of Morong, was not self-sufficient to operate as a separate province.
Although the delegates from Morong, Hilarion Raymundo, and José Tupas, objected to the
proposal, Juan Sumulong of Antipolo strongly advocated the move. After much acrimonious debate
and upon the suggestion of Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera the body agreed on the creation of a new
province independent of the Province of Manila. The new province was aptly named after José Rizal,
the country's national hero.
The ruins of the first provincial capitol in Santa Rosa, Pasig that was the seat of government for the province
until 1950[8]
On June 11, 1901, the province of Rizal was officially and legally created by virtue of Act No. 137 by
the First Philippine Commission which during the time was acting as the unicameral legislative body
in the island of Luzon.[9]
The new province was composed of 32 municipalities, 19 from the old Province of
Manila (i.e. Cainta, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Malibay, Mariquina (Marikina), Montalban
(Rodriguez), Muntinlupa, Navotas, Novaliches, Parañaque, Pasig, Pateros, Pineda (Pasay), San
Felipe Neri (Mandaluyong), San Juan del Monte (San Juan), San Mateo, San Pedro Macati
(Makati), Taguig, Tambobong (Malabon)); and 13 from the Politico-Military District of Morong
(i.e. Angono, Antipolo, Baras, Binangonan, Bosoboso, Cardona, Jalajala, Morong, Pililla,
Quisao, Tanay, Taytay and Teresa).[10] The City of Manila from the old Province of Manila was
treated as a separate entity. The seat of the provincial government was Pasig.
The number of municipalities changed with the municipal boundaries through time, mostly occurring
within the provincial boundary.[11][12][13][14] On October 12, 1903, the former municipalities of Bosoboso,
Malibay, Novaliches and Quisao were absorbed by Antipolo, Pasay, Caloocan and Pililla,
respectively, by virtue of Act No. 942.[10] On November 25, 1903, Muntinlupa was ceded to the
Province of La Laguna and became part of the municipality of Biñan,[15] but was later returned to
Rizal on March 22, 1905 and became part of Taguig until December 17, 1917.[16][17]
Political map of Rizal before the creation of Quezon City
On October 12, 1939, Quezon City was established,[18] which included parts of Caloocan, and later
on, Novaliches and parts of Marikina, Pasig and San Juan.
World War II[edit]
Marking's and the Hunter's ROTC Guerrillas operated in Rizal Province throughout the war.[19][20]
In 1942, Quezon City and the towns of Caloocan, Makati, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Pasay,
and San Juan were merged with Manila to form the City of Greater Manila, by virtue of Executive
Order No. 400 signed by President Manuel L. Quezon as an emergency measure.[21] The city was
dissolved by President Sergio Osmeña in 1945, thus restoring the pre-war status of the merged
cities and towns.[22][23]
Post-war[edit]
The second provincial capitol along Shaw Boulevard, Pasig, which was the seat of government for the province
from 1950 to 2009[24]
Through Presidential Decree No. 824, Rizal was partitioned on November 7, 1975 to form Metro
Manila. The municipalities of Las
Piñas, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Taguig, Pateros, Makati, Mandaluyong, San
Juan, Malabon, Navotas, Pasig and Marikina, and the three cities of Caloocan, Pasay and Quezon
City were excised to form the new region, while the other 14 towns remained in Rizal.[25]
Contemporary history[edit]
On June 17, 2008, Governor Casimiro Ynares III announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig.
Its ₱270-million capitol building, constructed in Antipolo by Ortigas & Co., owner thereof, was
completed by December of that year. Built on a five-hectare lot at the Ynares Center, it employs
2,008 employees.[26] The New Capitol was successfully inaugurated on March 4, 2009, bringing back
the Capitol Building inside the provincial territory, from which it was absent for 34 years (when Pasig
was incorporated into Metro Manila).
On June 19, 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11475 into law, which
officially transferred the capital of the Rizal province from Pasig to Antipolo. The law was published
on June 22, 2020, and took effect on July 7, 2020. The publication of the law coincided with the
159th birth anniversary of Rizal.
Geography[edit]
Rizal covers a total area of 1,191.94 square kilometers (460.21 sq mi)[27] occupying the northerncentral section of the Calabarzon in Luzon. The province is bordered on the north by Bulacan, east
by Quezon, southeast by Laguna, south by the Laguna de Bay, and west by Metro Manila.
Located 20 kilometers (12 mi) east of Manila, commuters take approximately an hour to reach the
provincial seat which is in Antipolo. Generally hilly and mountainous in terrain, most of the province's
southern towns lie in the shores of Laguna de Bay, the country's largest inland body of water.[1]
Talim Island, the largest island situated within the Laguna de Bay, is under the jurisdiction of the
province.