Malacanang has declared June 11 as a non-working day in the entire province of Rizal, as the locality, named after national hero Dr. Jose Rizal will be celebrating its 121st founding anniversary.
The office of outgoing Rizal Governor Rebecca Ynares announced on Facebook that June 11 has been declared by President Rodrigo Duterte as a non-working day in Rizal Province by virtue of Proclamation No. 1343, the copy of which was signed on April 6 by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
“It is but fitting and proper that the people of the Province of Rizal be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies, subject to the public health measures of the national government,” part of the proclamation stated.
Annually, it has been a tradition under Governor Ynares’ administration that the 14 localities in the province hold their own cleaning and greening activities in celebration of "Araw ng Lalawigan" aside from the provincial government-initiated clean-up and greening drive.
According to the official webpage of the provincial government, the province was created on June 11, 1901, under Act No. 137, the Second Philippine Commission, headed by Judge William Howard Taft, with Luke E. Wright, Henry C. Ide, Bernard Moses and Dean C. Worcester as members. It was then composed of 19 towns of Manila Province, and 14 municipalities of Morong Politico-Military District or a total of 33 towns.
Over the years, Rizal Province was reduced to 26 towns, namely, Las Piñas, Malabon, Makati, Parañaque, Taguig, Pateros, Pasig, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Mandaluyong, Navotas, San Juan, San Mateo, and Montalban (from the old province of Manila), and Angono, Baras, Binangonan, Cainta, Antipolo, Cardona, Jalajala, Morong, Pililla, Tanay, Taytay, and Teresa (from the Morong Politico-Military district).
It was only on November 7, 1975, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 824 that the 12 most progressive towns of Rizal, namely: Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Taguig, Parañaque, Pateros, Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Malabon, Navotas, Pasig, and Marikina were incorporated into the newly formed Metro Manila Area.
It also included the town of Valenzuela (formerly of Bulacan), and the four cities of Manila, Quezon, Caloocan, and Pasay.
The present Rizal Province, which is part of the Greater Metro Manila, is composed of Antipolo City, Angono, Baras, Binangonan, Cainta, Cardona, Morong, Pililla, Rodriguez, San Mateo, Taytay, Tanay, Teresa and Jalajala.