Teresa, officially the Municipality of Teresa (), 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 64,072 people.
Most of the people here are
Tagalogs
The Tagalog people are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Philippines, particularly the Metro Manila and Calabarzon regions and Marinduque province of southern Luzon, and comprise the majority in the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, N ...
. Teresa is primarily known for the nearby mountain resorts, Villa Sampaguita Resort and Real Cove Resort (Formerly Sunrise Resort, Sunset Resort, and Terra Villa Resort).
Land uses (in hectares): Commercial (1.92), Residential (104.32), Agricultural (1183.35), Protected areas (13,952.41), Industrial / Ecozone (710.69), Institutional (112.28), and Special / Other uses (123.03).
The town's festivals are the Turumba sa Mahal na Patron Santa Rosa (held every August 23), Anniversary celebration of town independence (every December 30), and Town fiesta (every 1st Sunday of March).
History

Teresa was first named "Oroquieta" and was a barrio of the Municipality of Morong. As a non-independent town its name was changed to "Santa Rosa" in honor of the town's patron saint,
St. Rose of Lima. Against the will of its people, Santa Rosa was annexed to Antipolo, which led to animosity between the two towns. Most of the residents preferred to be under jurisdiction of Morong.
Unstable conditions led militant leaders such as Messra. San Esteban, Santo Domingo, Pio Piriquiquit Santos, Raymundo Francisco, Mariano Celo Francisco, Diego P. Cruz, Santiago P. Cruz, Sabino de Ramos, Platon Gonzales, Brigido Capli Cruz,Lorenzo Capli Cruz, Saturnino Francisco, and Francisco Natividad to clamor for independence. In 1877, the Spanish lawyer Don Mariano Rodriguez Candelaria assisted the people in appealing to the Spanish Governor-General for separate ownership. The appeal was given preferential attention, and Santa Rosa was later declared an independent town. In 1900, the people agreed to change the name from Santa Rosa to "Teresa" in honor of the Spanish lawyer's mother, Doña Teresa Candelaria.
In 1903, when rebellion broke out, Teresa was again annexed to the Municipality of Antipolo.
In 1917, the able men of the town again moved for independence with the help of the Rizal Governor
Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr. This move, however, failed due to political reasons.
With the help extended by Senator
Rafael Palma, the independence of Teresa was approved and declared by the Governor-General
Charles E. Yeater on January 1, 1919, through Executive Order No. 57 (signed December 16, 1918). Roberto de Jesus was appointed as the first "Municipal President" (known as ''Mayor'' today). Functioning as a town, Teresa comprised three barrios at the time: May-Iba, Pantay, and San Roque.
After three years of independence, the town acquired a municipal building on November 8, 1921, which was called ''
Presedencia''. Paulino de la Rosa was the second Municipal President of Teresa, Rizal. During his term the elementary school building (located in Dalig) was inaugurated. His portrait hangs proudly as the first in the grand entrance of the municipal building in Teresa, Rizal.
Geography
Teresa is situated in the slopes of the Sierra Madre Mountains and is bordered on four corners by
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, ...
on the north,
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 ...
on the west,
Tanay, on the east, and
Morong, on the south. The town is passed by motorists bounded for the more inland towns of
Morong,
Baras,
Tanay,
Pililla
Pililla (), officially the Municipality of Pililla (), is a municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 71,535 people. It is surrounded by farms, small mountains, plains, and trees. Pi ...
, and
Laguna and Quezon provinces.
Contrary to some articles, Teresa is actually a valley surrounded by mountains. The town center is located almost at the center of the valley. In an aerial view of Teresa, one would notice the previously vast expanse of agricultural land bordered by marble-rich mountains.
Barangays
Teresa is politically subdivided into 9
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, as indicated below. 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 ...
.
* Bagumbayan
* Dalig
* Dulumbayan
* May-Iba
*
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
* Prinza
* San Gabriel
* San Roque
* Calumpang Santo Cristo
As of the year 2010, there was a proposal to name the eastern section of the municipality as a 10th barangay (the area from the Marcos Highway towards General Nakar in Quezon Province). However, the area is part of the disputed political claim among the municipalities of Morong, Teresa, Baras, and Tanay.
Climate
Demographics
In the 2020 census, the population of Teresa, Rizal, was 64,072 people, with a density of .
Major religious denominations: Roman Catholic (75%), Iglesia Ni Cristo (12%), Protestant (2%), Islam (1%), and Others (10%)
Economy
Formerly, the predominant source of livelihood in Teresa is agriculture. But with the opening of the Republic Cement Factory (Formerly FR Cement Factory), Teresa Marble Corporation, and ABC Chemical Factory, members of the community have slowly shifted to industry. More, the real estate boom in the 90s caused a surge in the population in Teresa with the opening of the Carissa Homes East 1 (CHE-1 in Bagumbayan) & 2 (CHE-2 in San Gabriel and Dalig) subdivisions and the La Hacienda, La Montagna and Palazzo Estates located at the highlands of Barangay Bagumbayan.
Annual income is P 85,548,638.56 from manufacturing (cement, marble, limestone quarrying), agro-industrial (piggery and poultry farms), and operation of economic enterprises (public market, slaughter house, sukol spring resort, MRF).
Infrastructure
Basic facilities include 2 hospitals, 10 clinics, and 1 public market.
Power is supplied by the Manila Electric Company. Water supply is through the municipal Teresa Water District (TERWD) and Buhay Na Tubig Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
Educational institutions consist of 1 university and college, 8 high schools, and 12 elementary schools.
References
External links
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>
Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Rizal (province)