Tanay, officially the Municipality of Tanay ( ), 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 139,420 people.
Tanay is home to the namesake Tanay–Paete dialect of
Tagalog, which apart from this municipality is spoken on the municipalities located on the eastern shores of the
Laguna Lake.
History

Tanay was settled by early Austronesian people. Shortly after the
conquest and subjugation of Manila by the Spaniards and the surrounding lake areas by
Juan de Salcedo in 1570–1574, Franciscan missionaries arrived to Christianize the inhabitants of what is now the Morong-Pililla area. In 1583, both Morong and Pililla were created as separate towns with Tanay forming part of Pililla.
Tanay was founded as a separate ''pueblo'' (town) in 1606 under the name "Monte de Tan-ay". In 1620, administration was moved to San Antonio (now called Inalsan or Pantay) and Tandang Kutyo. In 1638, the town was burned during an uprising of Chinese living in the area, and the town was rebuilt in 1640 at the present day location.
In 1747, the town of Tanay consisted of only eight ''barangays'', namely Nuestra Senora del Rosario, Sa Josep, San Ildefonso de Tanay, San Francisco de Maytubig, San Pedro de Alcantara, San Lucas y San Antonio, San Apostol, and San Agustin de Balugbog.
In 1853, a new political subdivision was formed. The town of Tanay together with Morong, Baras, Pililla,
Angono
Angono ( or ), officially the Municipality of Angono (), 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 130,4 ...
,
Binangonan and
Jalajala form the Province of La Laguna, with the capital at Morong. This district was later changed to Distrito Politico-Militar de Morong after four years. Tanay's present-day eastern portion was also 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 ...
.
Tanay became a Municipality in 1894 as an effect of the Spanish
Maura Law. The first election of Public Office took place in 1895–1898 and 1898–1900 under the
Revolutionary Government of the Philippines.
Tanay members of the Katipunan fought valiantly during the Revolution against Spain. The town was the headquarters of the second military area of the Philippine Revolutionary Government under
General Emilio Aguinaldo. And for a brief period between 1899 and 1900, Tanay served as the capital of the then Morong Province after
Philippine–American War
The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
broke out and the American forces invaded the lake towns and captured
Antipolo.
In 1900–1901, Tanay as was under the Government appointed by the
American Military under
Taft Commission. From 1903 to 1934 the town leadership was under the
American rule then in 1934 Tanay was under the
Commonwealth of the Philippines as the
Tydings–McDuffie Act was approved on March 24, 1934, until the Philippines fell to the hands of the
Japanese during the Second World War in 1942.
In 1942–1945 the Mountains of Tanay served as the
Guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
base for 'Marking's Fil-American Guerrillas, beginning the Liberation of Tanay in March 1945 a very decorated by the Filipino soldiers of the
4th and 42nd Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, 4th Constabulary Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary and the recognized guerrillas against the Japanese occupation forces during World War II. General Agustin Marking is buried in a private cemetery by the road overlooking his son's farm in Sampaloc.
On June 19, 1959, Republic Act No. 2336, also known as "An Act Establishing a Summer Resort in Sampaloc, Municipality of Tanay, Province of Rizal" was approved whereas there is hereby established a summer resort in Sampaloc. The Commission on Parks and Wildlife shall issue such rules and regulations for the establishment of such resort is taken place.
In October 2003, deposed Philippine president
Joseph Estrada was transferred to a rest home in Sampaloc, a mountain barangay. He remained under
house arrest
House arrest (also called home confinement, or nowadays electronic monitoring) is a legal measure where a person is required to remain at their residence under supervision, typically as an alternative to imprisonment. The person is confined b ...
until he was given executive
clemency by
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
During the
Typhoon Ketsana
Typhoon Ketsana, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Ondoy, was the second-most devastating tropical cyclone of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season, causing United States dollar, $1.15 billion in damages and 665 fatalities, only behind Typho ...
(Ondoy) on September 26, 2009, Tanay was one of the hardest hit towns due to the rising of Laguna Lake and the flooding of Tanay River.
It is also important to remember that Tanay has been the meeting point of people from Jalajala and Pililla, two of the neighboring towns of Tanay. At the same time, people from Jalajala and Pililla have to commute to Tanay first in order to proceed to Metro Manila, as only Tanay has the consistent terminal of buses and other public utility vehicles bound for Metro Manila and western Rizal. Due to the close relationship of the three aforementioned towns, TAPJ was formed which is the group of the three municipalities, often used by high schools to meet and compete academically.
Geography
Tanay is located from
Antipolo and from
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 ...
. It contains portions of the
Sierra Madre Mountains and is bordered by
Rodriguez in the north,
Antipolo in the north-west,
Baras,
Morong and
Teresa
Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; ) is a feminine given name.
It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Classical Greek, Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or rea ...
in the west,
General Nakar (
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 ...
) in the east, and
Pililla,
Santa Maria (
Laguna) as well as the lake
Laguna de Bay in the south.
Barangays
Tanay is politically subdivided into 20
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 (10 urban, 10 rural), as indicated below and in the image herein. Each barangay consists of
puroks and some have
sitios.
Climate
Demographics
In the 2020 census, the population of Tanay, Rizal, was 139,420 people, with a density of .
The majority of the population consists of Tagalogs who live near Laguna de Bay, though there is also a significant percentage of mountain-dwelling people living in the northern portions of the municipality. The town's major trades consist of fishing, agriculture and regional commerce.
The roots of the
Sambalic languages can be traced back to Tanay, where the etymologically similar Sinauna (erroneously labeled before as a dialect of Tagalog) or
Remontado Dumagat is still spoken in villages in the Sierra Madre mountains between Sampaloc and General Nakar, Quezon.
Economy
Tourism
Tanay’s economy has been boosted by its natural resources and nature’s allure. There are various activities to try in Tanay, Rizal. There are adventure camps, glamping campsites, staycation sites, café and restaurants with beautiful sceneries, and aesthetic photography sites:
# Regina Rica – a pilgrim site for Catholics who want to appreciate the Mother Mary statue. Most visitors find the place worth the visit and emotional.
# Mount Daraitan and Tinipak River – this tourist spot is for the adventurous ones who love to trek and hike. The place is also for the nature-wanderers because it features clean waters and majestic sceneries.
# Treasure Mountain – it is a spot to appreciate the Sierra Madre Mountain Range and with the right-timing the famous Sea of Clouds of Tanay. To top it all up, visitors don’t need to hike to go here. Tents may also be used here for overnight glamping.
# Ridges and Clouds Nature Camp – with the right-timing during sunrise, the ridges here can also be seen with a blanket of clouds. This is a perfect place to reflect and reconnect to nature but not for work-away-from-home because there is no mobile data or WIFI signal here.
# Calinawan Cave – this is a historical place in Tanay where Filipinos take refuge during colonization in the past. Tanay is most commonly known for its mountain ranges but this spot is different. Calinawan Cave is for the adventurous tourists who also want to enjoy the waters.
Tanay Rodeo Festival
To promote and market the town's cattle and agri-eco tourism not only within the municipality but also in the
Calabarzon region, the Municipal Government of Tanay holds Tanay Rodeo every third week of January each year. The festival is also in line with the celebration of Tanay Town Fiesta. It is participated by professionals and rodeo enthusiasts, and veterinary/animal science students from renowned universities in the country.
Government
Local government
The Municipal Council approved the budget for the construction of the new municipal building of Tanay. The lending company will be the
Landbank of the Philippines, Tanay Branch. Certain issues and debates from different sectors and influential names about the construction arose, and still now under public consultation and hearing.
References
External links
*
Tanay Profile at PhilAtlas.comTanayGeographic.com: Contains images of Tanay, a phone directory, and other information
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>
Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Rizal (province)
Populated places on Laguna de Bay