Rizal Province Day in the Philippines Date in the current year: June 11, 2024

The Province of Rizal is situated in the Calabarzon region on the island of Luzon, about 10 miles east of the Philippine capital of Manila. It was named after José Rizal, a Filipino nationalist and national hero who was executed by the Spanish colonial government following the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution.

During the early years of the Spanish colonial era, the territory of what is now the province of Rizal was part of the provinces of Tondo and Laguna. In 1853, the Spanish administration created the Politico-Military District of the San Mateo Mountains, later renamed the District of Morong, out of parts of Laguna and Tondo. It included the municipalities of Angono, Antipolo, Baras, Binangonan, Bosoboso, Cainta, Jalajala, Morong, Pillilla, Tanay, and Taytay.

During the Philippine Revolution, a branch of the Katipunan (a nationalist revolutionary organization) was created in Morong. The Katipuneros eventually drove the Spaniards out of Morong, earning the district the distinction to be represented on the Philippine flag. The flag incorporates a sun with eight rays, each ray symbolizing a province that had significant involvement in the revolution: Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Manila, Morong, Nueva Ecija, and Pamapagna.

Following the outbreak of the Philippine-American War, many Morongueños fought the Americans, continuing the fight even after the fall of Manila and the surrender of President Emilio Aguinaldo. However, Morong eventually surrendered to the Americans with the rest of the provinces.

In 1900, American president William McKinley appointed the Second Philippine Commission that, among other things, was responsible for the reorganization of the Philippine provinces. After a meeting with Philippine delegates at the Pasig Catholic Church on June 5, 1901, it was decided to unite the province of Manila and the district of Morong.

The new province was formally created on June 11, 1901 and named after José Rizal. It was composed of 13 municipalities from Morong and 19 municipalities from the old Province of Manila. Pasig was designated as the provincial capital.

During World War II Rizal, along with the rest of Philippines, was occupied by Japan, but guerrillas were active in the province throughout the occupation. In 1975, part of Rizal was split from the province to form the National Capital Region (Metro Manila). Pasig became part of Metro Manila but continued to serve as the provincial capital until 2008, when the capital of the Rizal province was transferred to the city of Antipolo.

Rizal Province Day should not be confused with José Rizal’s birthday (June 19) or Rizal Day (December 30). The former, just as its name suggests, commemorates the birthday of José Rizal, and the latter is a national holiday commemorating his death anniversary.