Rizal is one of the provinces closet to Metro Manila. It is dubbed by urban planners as the country” next business capital.The province still has many green area and is exciting to watch on account of its wide low lying valleys and rolling hills. Rugged ridges are found near the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountain ranges, which overlooks the entire province.

An encompassing vista of Metro Manila can be engaged at certain points along the Sumulong Highway leading to the town of Antipolo. A number of restaurants with viewdecks can be found here.The province has also so much to offer to both foreign and local tourists like the breathtaking view of the Laguna Lake and the Sierra Madre mountain ranges. People residing in the 14 towns which today compose Rizal engage in traditional arts and crafts, and hold colorful yearly fiestas that function as accessible major attractions.

Its strategic geographical location makes it one of the fastest growing provinces in the CALABARZON in terms of economic development. The province was named in honor of the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

ARTISTIC & CREATIVE PRODUCTS

The Philippine art scene, Rizal has borne several of the country’s most famed artists. It is home to National Artists, Botong Francisco, Vicente Manansala and Lucio San Pedro.

The innate artistry and creativity of Rizal has been passed on from generation to generation. Its people express themselves strongly, aggressively and precisely through their works in a spirit expressive of Filipino culture, and demonstrate an indigenous creativeness and originality. It is because of this gift that medium industries such as garments and textile, footwear, gifts, toys and housewares precision instruments, electronics, microcomputers and software development have chosen the province as site for their operations.

GARMENTS

The Garment Industry today remains to be Rizal’s top dollar earner and number one income producer in the province. The comparative advantage lies in its skilled manpower pool and its accessibility to markets and raw material supply.

To date, there are more than a thousand small-scale enterprises catering to the local markets as well as a sizeable number, about one hundred firms of medium and large-scale firms producing for exports,

Rizal’s garment industry has been existing for quite sometime now that the technical skills required for it had been handed down through generations to make Rizal known as the seat of garments in Region IV.

GIFTS, TOYS, HOUSEWARES (GTH)

The presence of raw materials suited for the manufacture of gifts, toys and housewares in the province has resulted in the emergence of GTH as a promising industry. The world market for stuffed toys alone continues to rapidly increase.

Quite a number of home-scale gifts and houseware manufacturers serving the local market are scattered in various municipalities of Rizal. The main product lines are baskets, artificial and dried plants and flowers, textile-based housewares and Christmas decor. A huge trainable workforce as well as abundant indigenous materials are two of the province’s untapped resources towards a brighter prospect for the industry.

ELECTRONICS

Another fast-growing industry in Rizal is electronics. The country’s largest manufacturer of electronic products, the Matsushita Electric Philippines Corporation is located in Taytay. It is the first Filipino-Japanese joint venture project in the field of consumer electronics.

Taytay is also host to the Philippine Electric Corporation, the country’s pioneer manufacturer of distribution transformers since 1969.

CUTFLOWER

The Cutflower Industry, considered to be the real sunshine industry, continues to develop with its bright prospects clinging on several factors such as the rapid population growth, influx of tourists, rising number of tourist accommodation facilities, restaurants and shopping malls, and the general increase in consumers’ demands. As exotic varieties, tropical orchids are
considered top of the line in the industry. Their growing significance is reflected in the increasing demand of the overseas and local cutflower markets.

The towns of Antipolo, Tanay and Morong have been identified as potential areas for the further development of the industry in the province. This is due to their favorable climate conditions for the cultivation of orchid mericlones and proximity to Metro Manila where most florists, flower shops, and institutional buyers are located.

BUILDERS WOODWORKS

The most notable indicator of domestic demand in woodworking is the rapid growth of real estate development for subdivisions, offices and commercial centers in Rizal and nearby areas, specifically Metro Manila.

In Taytay, the Woodworking Industry started as early as the 1930s when majority of the male populace engaged in the manufacture of doors, doorjambs, window jambs, and frames of capiz and wood. Until today, it continues to serve both the domestic and foreign markets.

The abundance of raw materials, proximity to Manila transport, shipping and communication facilities, skilled manpower and other supports to the industry can make Rizal the leader in woodworking here and abroad.

FOOTWEAR

At least one hundred shoe manufacturers are concentrated in San Mateo while several others are scattered in Binangonan, Cainta and Antipolo City. Shoe manufacturers in San Mateo supply some of the footwear requirements of some established brand names in the country today. They also employ direct selling to big department and shoe stores in Metro Manila.
TOURISM

The existence of a number of tourist attractions consisting of natural springs, waterfalls, and other scenic spots as well as the cool climate in Tanay and Antipolo City provides the
province’s suitability for tourism development. Rizal is endowed with some 51 tourist spots which are in various stages of development.

Some of the tourist destinations in Rizal are Hinulugang Taktak, Angono Petroglyphs, Valley Golf, Antipolo Church; Daranak and Batlag Falls in Tanay; Artist Village, Forest Hills Golf and Country Club; Wawa Dam in Rodriguez; Pacheco Gallery, Morong Church; Baras Shrine, and Manansala Shrine in Binangonan. The existing road network in the province provides access to some of these sites. Rizal’s relative proximity to Metro Manila which serves as the major transit point for visitors makes possible the establishment of the province as a major tourist destination especially for foreign visitors.