Rizal, Cagayan

Malaueg church

The incorporation of the town was dated early 1500s during the Spanish era in the Philippines. At that time, the town was called "Malaueg". Spanish friars were converting the people to Christians. They became thirsty because of the unbearable heat of the sun and the mountainous terrain. Then one of the Malaueg people gave some water to them. The friar asked where the water came from and the man who gave the water uttered the word "ueg" that means fresh water. Then this friar had experienced a stomach pain that led him say "malo" which means bad. The word then finally combined and called as "MALO-UEG" that means bad brook. The name became permanently until 1903 when the town was renamed in the honor of the Philippine National Hero Dr. José Rizal.

During the Spanish regime, the town was said to be the rest spots of the Spanish Authorities, friars and some locals, because of its cool environmental climate. Malaueg people build the largest stone convents for the friars, some nipa hut houses for Spanish Authorities and some ordinary houses for the locals. Malaueg became a center of Christianity next to Nueva Segovia after the Malaueg Church was built.

In 1607 the area was the site of Caquenga's Revolt. With the creation of the Nueva Segovia diocese in 1595 in the Cagayan Valley, Catholic missionaries from Europe began flooding into the region to convert the indigenous inhabitants to the Catholic faith. Per the Dominican account, Pagulayan, the chief of Nalfotan, had tried contacting Catholic missionaries for years. Fray Pedro then accepted the invitation and went to Nalfotan to visit Pagulayan and the Malaueg people. To his astonishment, he found a church erected and the people waiting to adopt the religion. However, Caquenga, an indigenous animist leader, or priestess, apprehended the coming of the friar. Christianity posed a threat to her indigenous animism, and Catholic missionaries and Spanish officials worked continuously to eradicate animism. In response to this threat against her spiritual beliefs, she gathered a group of followers and they revolted against the priest.[5]

During the American occupation of the Philippines, the town of Malaueg was also a favorite spot for the Americans. During the Spanish–American War, the town was almost destroyed when the soldiers used its towering mountains to hide their ammunition and dug some trenches. The Authorities were very protective of the condition of the church during war.

The town before had two municipalities, namely: Mauanan and Malaueg. The barrios on the western and northern part belonged to the municipality of Malaueg, while the barrios on the eastern part belonged to the municipality of Mauanan, where the seat of two municipal governments was established (Philippine Commission; Act nos. 943,944, 1903). Act no. 2390 changed the names of the municipalities of Santo Nino and Mauanan.

The names of the municipalities of Santo Nino and Mauanan were changed to Faire and Rizal respectively. Mauanan was named Rizal in the year 1914 and the sitios of Lattut, Capacuaan and Macatal were annexed from Rippang in 1933, under executive Order No. 690 dated March 28, 1935.

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II, the town was largely destroyed in bombing attacks. The town also became one of the centers of resistance in the Philippines because of its forested areas that served as a hideout.

On December 3, 2008, elected mayor Raul dela Cruz sustained bullet wounds to the body and died while being taken to the hospital in Tuguegarao City.[6]

More violence took place on January 23, 2011, during the Town Fiesta, Police Commander Roweko and his wife together with six others were ambushed.

• Mount Annaguan, the highest point in the town of Rizal, has the height of 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) and it can overview some neighboring towns from its peak.
• Mount Malaueg with a height of 1,093 metres (3,586 ft) is the mountain at the side of the town's capital.
• Mount Maoanan, with a height of 968.5 metres (3,177 ft), was the legendary mountain where Biuag and Malana fought a battle for a maguinganay.

The Sinicking National Park has the height of 801 metres (2,628 ft) and the highest elevation between the town's Poblacion and barangay Gaddangao is 1,004 metres (3,294 ft). The entrance to the town is very similar to the Kennon Road of Baguio.

Rizal is politically subdivided into 29 barangays.

Figures stands for the list of barangays and the elevation of each.