LIFE AND WORK OF
RIZAL
1. The Preamble explains that there is a need for a
rededication to the ideals of freedom and
nationalism for which our heroes lived and died for.
1. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425 (RIZAL LAW)
3. The third paragraph of the preamble identifies
Rizal's novels the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo as an inspiring source of patriotism
which shall be inculcated in the mind of the young
people especially in their formative and decisive
years.



House Bill No. 5561
Senate Bill No. 438
(Published in the Official Gazette, vol. 52,
No. 6 p. 2971 in June 1956). Also:
htpp//www.gov.ph/1956/06/12/republicact-no-1425)
 It was Claro M. Recto who authored the
bill, while Senator Jose P. Laurel, who
was then the Chairman of the
Committee on Education sponsored the
bill in the Senate.
 Both of them were known for their great
sense of Nationalism.
2. The second paragraph of the preamble identifies
Rizal as one of those heroes who have devoted their
lives and shaped the national character.
4. Finally, the last paragraph of the preambles
invokes the power of the state in supervising all
educational institution which are required to teach
each student’s moral character, personal discipline,
civic conscience and the duties of citizenship
BATAS RIZAL (R.A. NO. 1425)
RIZAL LAW


Date of Effectivity: Rizal Law (Republic Act
No. 1425) was signed/approved into law on
June 12, 1956, by President RAMON
MAGSAYSAY (to honor not only Jose Rizal
but all other heroes).
CLARO M. RECTO (the principal proponent
of Rizal Bill) was considered the father of
Rizal Law.
Title of Rizal Law
 Republic Act No 1425 - "An act to include in
the Curricula of all Public and Private
Schools, Colleges and Universities courses
on the Life, Works & Writings of Jose Rizal,
particularly his novels Noli Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, authorizing the printing and
distribution thereof and for other purposes".
2. WHY STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO STUDY THE
LIFE OF RIZAL AND HIS WORKS?
 The Rizal Course was created as an act of
Congress of the Republic of the Philippines
through Republic Act No. 1425 on June 12,
1956. it was approved during the time of
President Ramon Magsaysay. The actual
title of the Law was:
 "An Act to Include in the Curricula of all
Public and Private Schools, Colleges and
Universities Courses in the Life, Works and
Writing of Jose Rizal, particularly his Novels,
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo,
Authorizing the Printing and Distribution
Thereof, and for Other Purposes."
 The title of the law is quite long and very
specific. Being specific especially in law is
very
important
to
avoid
anu
misinterpretation.
 The purpose of the law is enunciated in its
preamble. This preamble consists in the
paragraphs that begin with the word
"Whereas".
PURPOSE OF RIZAL LAW (R.A. NO. 1425)
IN BRIEF, THE AIMS/OBJECTIVES OF RIZAL LAW (RA
1425) ARE:
1. To rededicate the lives of the youth to ideals of
freedom and nationalism.
2. To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting
his life and works in shaping the Filipino character.
3. To gain inspiring source of patriotism through
Rizal's life, works and writing.
4. To recognize the relevance of Rizal's ideals,
thoughts, teaching and life values to present
condition in the community, and
5. To develop an understanding and appreciation of
the qualities, behavior and character of Dr Jose P.
Rizal.
 The body of Rizal Law consist of six (6)
sections. Simply speaking the Law provides
for the following:
1) Section I - Requiring all students in the
Colleges and Universities, public and private
to study the life, of works, and writings of
Jose Rizal, particularly mentioning his two (2)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
novels, the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo.
Section 2 - Requiring all Colleges and
Universities, public and private - to have
sufficient and unexpurgated copies of the
works of Jose Rizal especially his novels Noli
and El Fili in their respective libraries.
Section 3 - That Rizal's work should be
translated to English and other dialects of
the Philippines and that these should be
published in cheap editions and distributed
to the public trough purok organizations and
the Barrio Councils in the country. It also
stipulates that the publications should be
given for free to anyone who wishes to read
them.
Section 4 - A stipulation that the discussion
of Rizal's ideas does not violate the States
prohibition regarding the discussion of
religious beliefs in the country's public
school system and other public learning
institutions.
Section 5 - That the sum of P300,000 be
made available for the publication of Rizal's
works in cheap and popular editions.
Section 6 - That the law shall takes effect
upon its approval.
 The Law identifies the National Board of
Education as its implementer and authorizes
it to come up with the implementing rules
and regulations (IRR) including that of
disciplinary one. That means persons and
institution who refuse to implement this law
may be punished. The same subsection also
provides an exemption for students from
reading Rizal's works when these affect their
religious beliefs. These students, however,
were forbidden from not taking the course
at all.
THE LAW EXPLAINED:

Note: The Rizal bill passed with a clause that
gives an exemption for those who feel that
reading Rizal's Novels would damage their
faith. Thus, the law provides an exemption
for students for the reason of religious
belief. The student must state in a sworn
written statement/affidavit attesting to
their brittle faith and apply for an exemption
- not from Rizal Course that you still must
take - but from reading the Novels of Rizal.
 There were no recorded instances of
students applying for exemption from
reading the Novels.
 In 1994 when President Fidel Valdez Ramos
learned that some Colleges and Universities
had not implemented the said law (R.A.
1425), He issued Memorandum No. 247
ordering directly the Secretary of the
Department of Education Culture and Sports
(DECS) and the Chairman of the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED) to take steps to
immediately and fully implement the letter,
intent, and spirit of R.A. 1425.
3. THE STORY OF THE RIZAL LAW
 In 1956, legislators seeing the need to
promote nationalism and patriotism among
the Filipinos, especially the youth, filed the
bill.
 The original bill filed by Claro M. Recto.
Senator Jose P. Laurel, the Chairman of the
Committee on Education, sponsored the bill.
 Since its purpose was to promote patriotism
and nationalism, the Senators saw no
problem legislating it in Congress. It was
supposed
to
be
non-controversial
considering its intention.
 However, since the time it was introduced in
the Legislature the Rizal Bill encountered
formidable opposition.
 "In the words of Senator Laurel, the
bitterness
and
recrimination
that
accompanied
its
enactment
was
unparalleled in the Congress.
 Does it mean that the people who opposed
it are unnationalistic or unpatriotic?
 The source to the opposition to the
legislation of law that was supposed to
promote patriotism and love of country
came from the Catholic Church, its allies in
Congress, and the media.
 The original bill that would eventually
become the Rizal Law was filed by the
Committee on Education in the Philippine
Senate as Senate Bill 438 in April 1956.
 When the bill was first filed, it was supported
by all Senators in the upper house, except for
three members.
SENATE BILL 438 READ:

An Act to Make Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo Compulsory Reading in All
Public and Private Colleges and Universities
and for Other Purposes:
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress Assembled:
 On April 17, Senator Jose P. Laurel as
Chairman of the Committee:
 The following are the narration of the Story
of the Rizal Law by Senator Jose B. Laurel, Jr.,
Son of the Senator Jose P. Laurel, Former
President of the Philippines.






Section I. Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo are hereby
declared compulsory reading matter in
all public and private schools, colleges
and Universities in the Philippines.
Section 2. The works mention in Section
1 of this act shall be in the original
editions or in their unexpurgated English
and Natural Language versions.
Section 3. The Department of Education
shall take steps to promulgate rules and
regulations
for
the
immediate
implementations of the provision of this
Act.
Section 4. No provision of this Act shall
be constructed as prohibiting or limiting
the study of the works of other Filipino
heroes.
Section 5. Any public or private college
or university found violating, failing to
comply with, or circumventing the
provisions of this Act shall be punished
accordingly.
a. The Head of any public college or
university
charged
with
implementing the provisions of
this Act, who shall have been
found guilty of violating. failing to
comply with or circumventing the
provisions thereof shall be
dismissed immediately from the
service and shall be disqualified
from teaching in any public or
government recognized private
school, college.
b. Government recognition of any
private college or university
found violating or circumventing
the provision of this Act, shall be
immediately withdrawn, and the
responsible, head and professor,
or professors concerned shall be
disqualified from teaching in any
Government recognized college
or university.
Section 6. This Act shall take effect upon
its approval.
OPPOSITION ON THE BILL:
 Soon after the introduction in the Senate,
the original Rizal bill was called an "attack in
the church". The opponents said that the
novels painted a negative image of the
Catholic Church, and these contain messages
that are not suited to the present time.


Besides saying that the Novels had messages
"not applicable" to the present times, the
opponents said that the two novels of Rizal,
Noli Me Tangere, and El Filibusterismo
contain passages that were to Catholic
beliefs and teaching.
The church had powerful allies in opposing
the Rizal Bill. Thus, the following are the
oppositions and the supporters of the said
Bill.
POWERFUL ALLIES OF THE CHURCH IN OPPOSING
THE RIZAL BILL. THESE INCLUDES:
1. Rufino Santos - the Archbishop of Manila,
said that the proposed Rizal Bill if, approved,
will cause disaffection of the youth against
the church.
2. Senator Francisco "Soc" Rodrigo - who
held the presidency of the Accion Catolica
(Catholic Action), denounced the Rizal Bill.
He said that he would read the two novels
because his faith in the Catholic Church is
strong but, he would not allow his teenage
son to read the Noli Me Tangere & El
Filibusterismo because these novels will
harm his faith.
3. Congressman Mariano J. Cuenco - In the
House of Representatives, Congressman
Cuenco led the opposition to the Rizal Bill.
His privileged speech contained views,
opinion, theories attacking the dogmas,
beliefs, and practices of the church.



According to Mariano J Cuenco, Quoting the
passage of the Noli Me Tangere, Rizal wrote:
God cannot pardon a crime simply because
we confess it to a priest.
Cuenco also said that Rizal proclaimed that
early Christians believed there was no
purgatory. Its existence was proclaimed in
the Church Council of Florence in 1439.
He further said that Rizal's ideas are from
Zoroastrianism.
4. Fr. Jesus Cavanna said that the novels
contained more anti-church statements rather
than nationalistic statements. He purportedly
claimed in one of the symposiums that the
Novels of Rizal were already belonged to the
past & would misrepresent current church
conditions.
5. Senator Decoroso Rosales believed that
approval of the bill would lead to the closure of
Catholic Schools all throughout the country. (He
believed that the approval of the bill would
affect the number of Catholics in the
Philippines).
6. Jesus Paredes another commentator
stated that the novels contained
objectionable materials and the Catholic
have the right not to read them in order not
to endanger their faith (endanger their
salvation).
7. Other Catholic Organizations, who were
composed of Conservative Catholics, such as
the Accion Catolica, Knights of Columbus,
Congregation of the Mission and the Catholic
Teachers Guild, priests and nuns, many of
whom were foreigners attended hearing in
Congress

Their actions were clearly an interference of
the church on the policy-making power of
the States.
PROPONENTS/DEFENDERS OF THE RIZAL LAW
1. Senator Claro M. Recto, one of the vocal
defenders of the bill in the senate was portrayed
as anti-American leftist and fellow traveler
(word for communist sympathizer) who
advocated to the removal of US bases and the
abandonment of Special relations to the United
States.



Contrary to his accusation against him, Recto
was advocating a nationalist change for the
Philippines instead of the neocolonial
subservience to the Americans.
Senator Recto for his part remained
uncompromising reminding Senator Rodrigo
of the long period of domination of the
church in the history of the Philippines which
continues to this day.
If bishop made good of their threat (to close
down Catholic School, Colleges and
Universities), Recto proposed that the State
should take over and implement a nonsectarian educational system with a
nationalist agenda.
2. Senator Jose P Laurel, Sr., who was then the
Chairman of Committee on Education
sponsored the bill in the Senate.
3. Mayor Arsenio Lacson, another prominent
supporter, while attending the mass walked out
the church when the priest began reading a
circular from Archbishop Santos denouncing the
Rizal Bill.

Mayor Arsenio H. Lacson of Manila spoke up,
denouncing those who oppose the Rizal Bill
as "enemies that threaten the very
foundation of freedom". This new breed of
Filipinos" would on one hand, deny to the
State the right to prescribe the books to be
read in school, on the other hand, dictate to
the State what books should not be read by
the people.
4. Fr. Horacio de la Costa, S.J, a Jesuit scholar and
historian, was the lone voice within the Catholic
Church which supported Rizal Bill.
 He said that Rizal's works only exposed
abuses within the church. He said that the
abuses were committed by individual
clergymen and should not be treated as
reflective of the entire clergy.
6. These include groups such as the Veteranos
de la Revolucion Filipina who were composed of
revolutionary war veterans, the Alagad ni Rizal,
the Knights of the Grand Order of Rizal and the
Freemasons.
 After the standoff which lasted for a month,
a substitute bill was filed. The bill was
authored by Senator Laurel, and it
incorporated the Proposals of Senators
Roseller Lim and Emmanuel Pelaez.
 The bill was a compromised bill compared to
the original bill as it contained a provision
allowing to seek exemption from reading
Rizal's works but not from taking the course.
 The substitute bill also provides funds for the
publication and distribution of Rizal's work in
the countryside, and
 On June 12, 1956, Republic Act No. 1425,
popularly known was the Rizal Law was
passed/approved.
4. HERO; ITS MEANING:




HERO defined as a person who, in the
opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has
performed heroic act and is regarded as a
model or ideal.
Hero - a man of distinguished courage or
ability, admired for his brave deeds or noble
qualities.
Hero - a person of distinguished valor or
enterprise in danger, or fortitude in
suffering.
HERO - a man honored after death by public
worship because of exceptional service to
mankind.
QUALITIES OF A HERO: (IN GENERAL)
1. Sacrifice - forfeiture of something highly
valued for the sake of one considered to
have a greater value.
2. Determination - a firmness of purpose or
resolve.
3. Loyalty - feeling of allegiance.
4. Dedication - self-devotion.
5. Valor courage exhibited in war and cannot
be applied to single combat.
6. Intrepidity - is firm, unshaken courage.
7. Selfless - unselfish concern for the welfare
of others.
8. Gallantry - adventurous courage, which
courts danger with a high and cheerful spirit.
9. Perseverance
determination.
-
is
a
persistent
10. Fortitude - has often been "passive
courage" and consist in the habit
encountering danger and enduring pain with
a steadfast and unbroken spirit.
11. Bravery - daring and impetuous courage,
one who has the reward continually in view,
and displays his courage in daring acts.
12. Courage - firmness of the spirit and
"mettle" of the soul to stare at danger and
trouble right in the eye.

Or stand to signify the valor it takes to
overcome adversities and adversaries.