Rizal (province)

Tagalog settlement arrived some time in the pre-Spanish period. The provincial territory began with the organization of the Tondo and Laguna provinces 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. Political-Military District of the San Mateo Mountains) was formed.[6] 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.[7]

By virtue of Circular No. 83, dated September 2, 1859, 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.

1900 map of south-central Luzon with Manila province and Morong district

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.[8] 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 barangay Santa Rosa, Pasig was the seat of government for the province until 1950.[9]

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.[10]

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).[11] The City of Manila from the old Province of Manila was treated as a separate entity. The seat of the provincial government was Pasig; however, for seven months in 1904, San Felipe Neri served as the provincial seat.[12]

The number of municipalities changed with the municipal boundaries through time, mostly occurring within the provincial boundary.[13][14][15][16] 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.[11] On November 25, 1903, Muntinlupa was ceded to the Province of La Laguna and became part of the municipality of Biñan,[17] but was later returned to Rizal on March 22, 1905, and became part of Taguig until December 17, 1917.[18][19]

Political map of Rizal before the creation of Quezon City

On October 12, 1939, Quezon City was established,[20] which included parts of Caloocan, and later on, Novaliches and parts of Marikina, Pasig and San Juan.

Marking's and the Hunter's ROTC Guerrillas operated in Rizal Province throughout the war.[21][22]

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.[23] The city was dissolved by President Sergio Osmeña in 1945, thus restoring the pre-war status of the merged cities and towns.[24][25]

The second provincial capitol along Shaw Boulevard, Pasig was the seat of government for the province from 1950 to 2009.[26] It was demolished in 2010 and the site was rebuilt as Capitol Commons.

Through Presidential Decree No. 824, Rizal was partitioned on November 7, 1975 to form Metropolitan 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.[27]

On June 17, 2008, Governor Casimiro Ynares III announced the transfer of the provincial capitol from Pasig to Antipolo. The new ₱270-million capitol building, constructed by Ortigas & Co., owner thereof, was completed by December of that year. Built on a 5-hectare (12-acre) lot near the Ynares Center,[28] it 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.

Rizal comprises 13 municipalities and 1 city.[29]

Political map of Rizal

The population of Rizal in the 2020 census was 3,330,143 people,[2] with a density of 2,800 inhabitants per square kilometer or 7,300 inhabitants per square mile. Due to its location being in the heart of the Katagalugan, almost all of the residents of Rizal mainly speak Tagalog. English and Filipino are used as second languages respectively; Filipino is a version of Tagalog which is spoken by residents of Rizal in code switching & when speaking to Tagalog speakers of other dialects.

Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion with about 80 percent adherence, a Members Church of God International. Various Christian groups exist such as Oneness Apostolic or Pentecostal like UPC, ALJC and ACJC, Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Born-again Christians, Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide, Iglesia ni Cristo comprise 2-3%, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptist, Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, El Shaddai (movement) Methodists, Presbyterians, Seventh-day Adventist and other Evangelical Christians. Muslims, Anitists, animists, and atheists are also present in the province.