Rizal is Cagayan's epic town where Ybanag legendary figures Biuag and Malana, were said to have fought their epic battle for supremacy over the hands of a beautiful "maginganay" by hurling each other volleys of uprooted trees and live cattle.
Know as Malaueg, its name dates back in the early 1600s when Spanish conquistadores exploring the Itawes found themselves on a plateau. Feeling very thirsty, they drank the water from a brook which their nature guide called "ueg." One of the Spaniards became ill after drinking and called the brook "malo ueg" (meaning bad or evil river).
A couple of years later, the leader of the people inhabiting the community where the "malo ueg" was, heard of the new benevolent faith being embraced by the people in nearby communities. This leader, Untal Pagulayan, travelled to Nueva Segovia and requested the authorities there to send religious persons to his place.
The Father Provincial, Fray Miguel de San Jacinto, O.P., sent Father Mola with Untal Pagulayan back to his place. Father Mola met some of the Spanish soldiers who told him of the "ueg" incident. Forthwith, the missionary called the community "Malo Ueg." It did not take long before the area became popularly known as Malaueg.
On April 26, 1608, the Dominicans accepted the ecclesiastical administration of the town. This is recorded as the official founding of Malaueg.
Father Pedro de Santo Tomas baptized Untal with the name Luis Pagulayan and his sister as Luisa Ballinan. Luis and Luisa worked devotedly for the welfare of their people, so much so that the death of Luis in 1620 was greatly lamented.
Luisa continued the good work. When a strong earthquake leveled the church to the ground in 1628, Doņa Luisa Ballinan rallied the people to pool their resources and furnish the labor for the restoration of their house of worship. At that time, the Indios of Zimbuey, a village not far from Malaueg rebelled and killed their encomiendero, Luis Enriquez, because of his ill treatment to them. Fearing for their lives, the Spanish missionaries left for Nueva Segovia.
Missing the kind administrations of the priests, the leaders of the revolt persuaded Doņa Luisa to lend them to Nueva Segovia to beg forgiveness and to beg that the priests return to their communities. The authoriites granted their request. Soon, a civil government was established in Malaueg with Martin Cauilan as the first municipal president. Through a resolution passed by the municipal council of 1914, under Municipal President Paverisno Palmea, the name of the town was changed to Rizal.
Rizal now is an Iluko-Itawes 6th class municipality with 13 barangays and a land area of 12,440 hectares. It is an agricultural, rural municipality having the strongest native tobacco ever.