Rodriguez, officially the Municipality of Rodriguez () and still commonly known by its former name Montalban, is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Rizal,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 443,954 people making it the most populous municipality in the country. Pending an affirmation through plebiscite, Republic Act No. 11812 repealed Batas Pambansa Blg. 275 and intend to formally revert to its original municipal name Montalban.
It is one of the richest municipalities in the Philippines, ranking third in 2016 with an income of .
Etymology
The municipality's former official name of Montalban derives from the
Spanish word ''monte'', which translates to "mountain," in reference to the numerous hills found within and surrounding the town.
A common name for the municipality up to the present, it was its official name from its founding in 1871 until 1982 when the
Batasang Pambansa
The Batasang Pambansa Complex, or simply the Batasan (), is the seat of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located along the Batasan Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
The complex was initially the home of the Batasang Pa ...
officially renamed it to Rodriguez under Batas Pambansa Blg. 275 in honor of
Eulogio Rodriguez, a native of the municipality who served as its first municipal president and
Philippine Senate president.
History

Based on the 1954 journal ''History and Cultural Life of Montalban and its Barrios'', what would then be the town of Montalban was formerly the barrio ''Balite'' which was under the jurisdiction of the town of
San Mateo during the Spanish period.
On another account, San Mateo, with its large size, was partitioned on April 27, 1871, when Captain General
Rafael Izquierdo issued a decree separating the barrios of Balite, Burgos, Marang and Calipahan from San Mateo and formed them into the new municipality of Montalban.
The town was then headed by its first parish priest Fr. Eustaquio Infante of
Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
, who led the dedication of the Most Holy Rosary Parish church on June 2, 1871, during the term of Archbishop Gregorio Meliton Martinez of the
Archdiocese of Manila
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
.
According to the Executive Summary included in the Annual Audit Reports of Rodriguez, Rizal, the municipality of Montalban was founded on June 30, 1871, under the "Acta de Erreccion" or Deed of Foundation.
The town, including its ''poblacion'', was initially part of the
province of Manila, while its present-day mountainous central and eastern portion, according to old maps, was under the jurisdiction of the
District of Morong. Additionally, an 1882 Spanish map indicates that the northeastern areas of the present-day municipality were once claimed as part of
Bulacan
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
. The municipality was then incorporated to the newly created province of Rizal on June 11, 1901, by virtue of Philippine Commission Act No. 137, after having been a part of the defunct province of
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
.
Montalban was then returned to its mother municipality of San Mateo by virtue of Philippine Commission Act No. 942 on October 12, 1903. San Mateo served as the seat of government in line with the economic centralization.
Montalban then separated from San Mateo to become an independent municipality again by virtue of Executive Order No. 20 on February 29, 1908.

In 1982, the town was officially renamed to Rodriguez under Batas Pambansa Blg. 275 in honor of the former
Senate president and town native
Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr.
On October 30, 1997, rebels from the
New People's Army
The New People's Army (; abbreviated NPA or BHB) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aiming to consolidate political power from what it sees as the present "bourgeo ...
(NPA), the militant arm of the
Communist Party of the Philippines
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP; ) is a far-left, Marxist–Leninist–Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968.
The CPP has been fighting a gue ...
, raided the police station of Rodriguez before noontime, where they ransacked the armory, killed one police officer, and kidnapped Rene Francisco, the police chief. He was later released on December 5, 1997 in
Tanay, Rizal
Tanay, officially the Municipality of Tanay ( ), is a municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 139,420 people.
Tanay is home to the namesake Tanay–Paete dialect of Tagalog, whi ...
.
Proposed cityhood
As early as 2018, the town's Sangguniang Bayan approved Resolution No. 60, Series of 2018 requesting the Senate of the Philippines thru its
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
,
Vicente Sotto III
Vicente Castelo Sotto, III (; born August 24, 1948), is a Filipino politician and television personality who is a senator-elect of the Philippines. He is the longest-serving senator in the history of the upper chamber, being the only one ele ...
and the House of Representatives through its
speaker,
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
to co-sponsor a bill for Rodriguez's conversion into a city.
Proposed reversion of town name to Montalban
In mid-to-late 2019, before a formal ruling could be enacted, the municipal government under the term of Mayor
Dennis Hernandez started to refer to the town as Montalban.
Notable examples were the discontinuation of the use of the town name Rodriguez in official documents, office names and correspondences, and the municipal government utilizing a modified municipal seal that indicates the name "Montalban" instead of "Rodriguez". In February 2020, a new municipal seal that bears the year 1871 as the date of establishment was used.
In April 2020, the municipality celebrated its 149th Foundation Day (''Araw ng Montalban''); in the previous year April 2019, at the time when 1909 was still the recognized date of establishment, the municipality celebrated its 110th founding anniversary.
In response to the numerous requests from the town's native residents to return the town to its former name, on July 3, 2019 during the
18th Congress,
Rizal's 2nd District Representative Juan Fidel Nograles filed ''House Bill No. 337''.
The bill was later substituted by ''HB No. 8899'' filed March 5, 2021;
it was approved by the House of Representatives on March 17 and was received by the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
on March 27. It was introduced by Sen.
Imee Marcos
Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos-Manotoc (; born November 12, 1955) is a Filipino politician and film producer serving as a Senate of the Philippines, senator since 2019. She previously served as governor of Ilocos Norte ...
under ''Senate Bill No. 2258'' on June 1.
In the Senate hearing of the Committee on Local Government on January 21, 2022, the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP; ) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural heritage through research, dissemination, conservation, sites management ...
did not pose any objection on the proposed measure and clarified that the proposed change will only apply to the municipality's name; structures and other features such as buildings, schools in the municipality dedicated in memory of Rodriguez are not covered by the proposed bill and should be retained.
With further minor amendments, the bill was approved on third and final reading on January 31. The
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
adopted the Senate amendment and the bill was submitted to the
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
for his signature.
On June 2, 2022, Republic Act No. 11812, an act for the reversion of the name of municipality Rodriguez to Montalban and repealing Batas Pambansa Blg. 275, lapsed into law. A plebiscite, having no final schedule yet, will be supervised by the
Commission on Elections
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
.
Geography
Rodriguez is a town of mountains. It is located on the slopes of the
Sierra Madre mountain range. From its north to south, a series of sloping ridges, hills and mountains ranges adorn the town. In fact, around 27% of the town is occupied by mountains and slopes. The town's highest peak is Mount Irid, above sea level.
Rodriguez makes up of the total area of Rizal. Making it the largest town in Rizal province with an area of . The municipality borders
San Mateo and
Antipolo
Antipolo, officially the City of Antipolo (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Rizal (province), Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...
, Rizal on the south,
Norzagaray and
San Jose del Monte, Bulacan on the north,
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
and
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines.
Caloo ...
on the west,
General Nakar
General Nakar, officially the Municipality of General Nakar (, Ilocano: ''Ili ti Heneral Nakar''), is a municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,225 people.
It was named after ...
,
Quezon
Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon () and historically known as Tayabas, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Lucena, a highly urbanized ci ...
on the east, and
Tanay on the south-east. Rodriguez's economic activities include agriculture and commerce such as the Avilon Zoo.
Rodriguez is the northernmost town in the province and comes after
San Mateo, Rizal
San Mateo, officially the Municipality of San Mateo (), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Rizal (province), Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 273,306 ...
, and
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
coming from
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
. It is also the location of the Montalban Gorge that is associated with the Legend of ''
Bernardo Carpio''. The gorge forms part of a protected area known as the
Pamitinan Protected Landscape.
Elevation and slope
Rodriguez is generally very rough in topography, with 83% of its total land area composed of upland areas, hills and mountain ranges. The remaining 17% low-lying terrain and rolling lands are found at the south-western portion of the municipality, along with the northern portions of the Municipality of
San Mateo.
The rolling slopes comprise the Marikina River Valley, where water from higher elevations drain towards the
Marikina River and its tributaries at the south-western portion of the municipality. Elevations at these western lowlands range from above sea level. The western portion of the flatlands gently rises towards the west, which is part of
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
.
The mountainous regions of Rodriguez are found at the central and eastern areas, with sleepy sloping ridges and mountain ranges, traversing north to south. The terrain in these mountain ranges has slopes ranging from 30 to 50%. Very steep hills and mountains have slopes greater than 50%. Rolling to hilly areas 18–30% in slope can also be found. These high elevations are drained by the Tanay, Puray, and Rodriguez Rivers.
Demographics
Barangays
Rodriguez is politically subdivided into 11
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s (8 urban, 3 rural), as indicated below and in the image herein. Each barangay consists of
purok
A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s and some have
sitios
A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
.
The barangays of San Isidro and San Jose are two of the most populated barangays in the municipality and in the Philippines.
* Balite
* Burgos
* Geronimo
* Macabud
* Manggahan
* Mascap
* Puray
* Rosario
* San Isidro
* San Jose
* San Rafael
In the 2020 census, the population of Rodriguez, Rizal, was 443,954 people, with a density of .
Climate
Economy
Transportation

The main transportation used in the municipality are jeepneys, tricycles,
UV Express
Utility Vehicle (UV) Express (formerly known as FX, Metered Taxi, and GT or Garage-to-Terminal Express) is a license to operate utility vehicles, particularly vans, as an alternative mode of public transport in the Philippines. The term also refe ...
, and buses. There are jeepneys that ply through the towns of San Mateo, Marikina and Cubao in Quezon City via
Marcos Highway, while some ply the route that leads to
Philcoa in Quezon City via
Batasan Road in San Mateo, others connect Rodriguez to Litex Road in Quezon City. UV Express vehicles ply the routes to Cubao in Quezon City and Santa Lucia Grand Mall in
Cainta
Cainta, officially the Municipality of Cainta (, ), is a municipality in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Rizal (province), Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 376,933 people.
It is one of the ...
. During the 2010s, there were additional UV Express vehicles that serve the routes to
North EDSA in Quezon City and
Quiapo
Quiapo may refer to:
* Quiapo, Chile, a location in Arauco Province
*Quiapo, Manila, a district in the Philippines
** Quiapo Church
The Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno (), commonly known as Quiapo Church and canonically ...
in Manila, and the route to Cubao operates via Marikina and via Payatas Road.
Formerly, there was railway service under the
Manila Railroad Company
The Manila Railroad Company (MRR) was a Filipino state-owned enterprise responsible for the management and operation of rail transport in the island of Luzon. It was originally established by an English people, Englishman named Edmund Sykes as t ...
that traversed the
San Mateo,
Marikina
Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 4 ...
, and
Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
areas and had its terminus at Barangay Balitè behind the Santo Rosario Parish Church. It had been long dismantled and the railway line converted into roadway that now consists of the road aptly named ''Daang Bakal''.
It is known that 'patok' jeepneys originated from this town way back during the 1980s. These jeepneys are known for their notoriety on the road. Despite this, they are popular among the passengers hence the name ''patók'' which means 'popular'. They still ply this town up to this day, most plying the Montalban-Cubao route via Marcos Highway. These jeepneys have already spread throughout the Rizal province as well as in Marikina since then.
The Marikina Auto Line Transport Corporation (MALTC) buses is the only one that regularly travels to farther places like
Makati
Makati ( ; ), officially the City of Makati (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concent ...
and
Parañaque
Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...
. However, during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) implemented a route rationalization system for
city buses. Currently, a city bus route connects Montalban with the capital city of
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
and
Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.
The proposed San Mateo Railway will connect the municipality of Rodriguez to the
Light Rail Transit Line 2, in which 6 stations are in development.
Government
List of former chief executives
Hospitals
*H Vill Hospital
*N. Medcare Hospital
*St. Mark Hospital
*Montalban Infirmary
*Casimiro A. Ynares Sr. Memorial Hospital
*Northern Tagalog Regional Hospital (under construction)
Education
There are numerous elementary and high schools, both public and private, offering primary, secondary and tertiary education in the town of Rodriguez. There are also colleges and institutions that offer graduate and undergraduate programs in town.
Tourism
*
Pamitinan Protected Landscape
*
Wawa Dam
* Puray Falls
* Rodriguez Ancestral Mansion
* Mount Pamitinan and Binacayan
* Mount Hapunang Banoi
* Mount Sipit-Ulang
* Avilon Zoo
* Espadang Bato
Gallery
File:Mounts Pamitinan and Binacayan.jpg, Montalban Gorge ( Pamitinan Protected Landscape)
File:Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape dammed by Wawa Dam.jpg, Wawa Dam
File:337Montalban_Rodriguez_Rizal_Barangays_Landmarks_14.jpg, Mount Mataba, one of the rolling hills in the Marikina Valley
File:Espadang Bato.jpg, Espadang Bato
File:RodriguezRizaljf5824_10.JPG, Rodriguez Municipal Gymnasium
File:696Rodriguez, Rizal Barangays Roads Landmarks 27.jpg, Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario Parish Church
File:854Rodriguez, Rizal Barangays Roads Landmarks 08.jpg, Rodriguez Ancestral House
File:Licerio Geronimo Memorial, Aug 2018.jpg, Licerio Geronimo Memorial
File:1138Rodriguez, Rizal Barangays Roads Landmarks 41.jpg, Public market
File:388Montalban Rodriguez Rizal Barangays Landmarks 30.jpg, Casimiro A. Ynares, Sr. Memorial Medical Center
File:Gate of the Puray Elementary School, Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines.jpg, Puray Elementary School in barangay Puray
File:Permanent Evacuation Center in Rodriguez, Rizal Province, Philippines.jpg, Rodriguez permanent evacuation center
See also
*
*
San Mateo, Rizal
San Mateo, officially the Municipality of San Mateo (), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Rizal (province), Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 273,306 ...
References
External links
Rodriguez Profile at PhilAtlas.com*
Philippine Standard Geographic CodeLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control
1871 establishments in the Philippines
Municipalities of Rizal (province)
Populated places established in 1871
Populated places on the Marikina River