Before the coming of the Spaniards to the Philippines, the area which comprises the municipality of Rizal at present, was covered with forests.

According to the Hanunoos, another group of tribal Filipinos, living on the hills, about ten kilometers west of Bogsanga, the original name of the river was Bisanga, a word from their dialect which means "It branched out."

Political leaders of San Jose and Occidental Mindoro felt that the barrios between Busuanga and Lumintao River should be created as another municipality.

When Pedro Medalla Sr. was elected in 1965 as representative of Occidental Mindoro, one of the bills he filed in Congress was the creation of the municipality of Rizal.

They were Adela, Rumbang, Salvacion, Magui, Magsikap, San Pedro, Santo Nino, Pitogo, Aguas and Rizal (Limlim).