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Rizal

Rizal Province Founding Anniversary

Rizal Province Founding Anniversary is celebrated in the province of Rizal, Philippines every June 11. It remembers the passage of Act No. 137 that created the province in 1901.

The date may be declared a special nonworking holiday through presidential proclamations (such as Proclamation No. 1343 in 2022).

History of Rizal

The rajahs ruled Luzon before colonial times. What is now the province of Rizal was under the control of Rajah Soliman, a relative of Rajah Lakandula of Tondo. His turf was defined by the banks of Laguna de Bay and Pasig River in the south.

The Spaniards came into power in 1571, and areas in Luzon gradually began to be placed under foreign rule. It was the Spanish colonizer Juan de Salcedo who explored the settlement from Manila towards Laguna, subjugating people he came into contact with.

Religious friars likewise arrived and baptized the natives and erected churches. During colonial times, the area of the present-day province of Rizal corresponded to the historical territories of Tondo (Manila) and Laguna.

In 1844, the province of Tondo included the town of Morong and Laguna. In 1853, these areas were annexed into one disrict called Distrito Politico-Militar de los Montes de San Mateo.

Four years later, it was renamed into Distrito de Morong to avoid confusing San Mateo of Tondo as its capital. By 1860, the province of Tondo became the province of Manila.

During the American occupation, a reorganization of provinces was set in place to better facilitate the rule of the Americans. Two hundred delegates of the Philippine Commission were convened. On June 5, 1901, deliberations were held to discuss the unification of Manila and Morong.

There was opposition against the proposal, spearheaded by prominent leaders Hilarion Raymundo and Jose Tupas. Yet the union of the two provinces was seemingly inevitable and eventually pushed through. Physician and statesman Trinidad Pardo de Tavera suggested that its name would be Rizal in honor of the national hero Jose P. Rizal.

On June 11, 1901, the province of Rizal was created by virtue of Act No. 137, otherwise known as “An Act Extending the Provisions of the Provincial Government Act to the Province of Rizal.” This is the date that the founding anniversary celebrates.

It was comprised of nineteen towns of Manila and fourteen towns of Morong.

The province was subjected to another round of reorganization when Metro Manila was created by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 824 on November 7, 1975.

Areas that separated from Rizal were Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasig, Pateros, San Juan, and Taguig.

The towns that remained were Angono, Antipolo, Baras, Binangonan, Cainta, Cardona, Jalajala, Montalban, Morong, Pililla, San Mateo, Tanay, Taytay, and Teresa.

How to reach Rizal

Rizal is accessible from Metro Manila through buses. Travel time is often in excess of two hours.

References

Rizal Province Founding Anniversary Summary

NameRizal Province Founding Anniversary
CelebrationFounding Anniversary
Contact8256-3000
CountryPhilippines
DateJune 11
Emailprovinceofrizal@yahoo.com
Established1901
Facebookwww.facebook.com
LocationRizal Province
OrganizerProvincial Government of Rizal
Twittertwitter.com
Websitewww.rizalprovince.ph