GE 112 The Life and Work of Rizal

Professor: Prof. Lagrimas Trinidad

DISCUSSION
I. Lecture on Historical Background and Context of RA 1425

Objectives

· Explained the history of the Rizal Law and its important provisions.

· Critically assessed the effectiveness of the Rizal course and Rizal Law.

· Enumerated what issues and interests were at stake in the debate over the Rizal bill that later
was crafted into Rizal Law.

· Appraised the relevance of these issues remain pertinent to the present.

A. Introduction to the Rizal Law

Welcome to the first lesson on the course on the Life and Works of Jose Rizal. This lesson
provides a discussion on the historical context and contents of the Rizal Law and examines the
social, political and economic conditions in the Philippines in the 21st Century. Studying
historical context of the Rizal Law allows us to better understand the context, rationale and
importance of the law. Similarly studying the 19th century is helpful in studying the life, works
and ideas of Dr. Jose Rizal because this puts him in the appropriate context.

Many Filipino students are curious why they are still required to study the life and works of Jose
Rizal in college despite having studied the biography of Jose Rizal and his two novels in their
high school years. Some believe that it might just be a repetition of the things they have
learned and that it would be a waste of their time. Little did they know that they are mandated
by the law to study the life and works of Jose Rizal not only in high school but also in college
and they might not even have an idea what this law had gone through in order to be passed
and approved.

Dr. Jose Rizal’s vast role in the attainment of the nation’s freedom led to the issuance of
Republic Act 1425 on June 12, 1956. Commonly known as the Rizal Act. Senator Claro M. Recto
was the main proponent of the Rizal Bill. He sought to sponsor the bill at Congress. The Rizal
Law has come a long way and was approved by President Ramon Magsaysay on June 12, 1956.
RA 1425 filed a measure which became the original Rizal Bill recognizing the need to instill
heroism among the youth at the time when the country was experiencing social turmoil.

The full name of the law is An Act to include in the Curricula of all Public and Private Schools,
Colleges and Universities Courses on the Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his
novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Authorizing the printing and distribution thereof,
and for other purposes. The measure was strongly opposed by the Roman Catholic Church in
the Philippines due to the anti-clerical themes in Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Groups
such as Catholic Action of the Philippines, the Congregation of the Mission, the Knights of
Columbus, and the Catholic Teachers Guild organized opposition to the bill, they were
countered by Veteranis de la Revolution, Alagad ni Rizal, the Freemasons, and the Knights of
Rizal. Before being enacted, the “Original” Rizal Bill stated that to include Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo as compulsory readings, and to emphasize the original or unexpurgated
versions of the novel. But the “Original Bill was opposed by the Catholic Church, because they
saw the bill as an attempt to discredit the Catholic Religion; and by the idea of compulsion to
read something against one’s faith, impairs freedom of speech and religious freedom. So, as an
answer to the problem, the “Original” bill was revised. The final version of the bill stated: to
include all the works and writings by Jose Rizal, to put emphasis on original or unexpurgated
versions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, and removed the idea of compulsion by
allowing exemption by reason of faith.

The Controversy
During the 1955 Senate Election, the Church charged Recto with being a communist and anti-
Catholic. After Recto’s election the Church conditioned to oppose the bill mandating the
reading of Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, claiming it would violate
freedom of conscience and religion. In campaign to oppose the Rizal bill, the Catholic Church
urged its adherents to write to their congressmen and senators showing their opposition to the
bill.

Later, it organized symposiums. In one of the symposiums, Father Jesus Cavanna argued that
the novels belonged to the past and that teaching them would misrepresent current conditions.
Radio commentator Jesus Paredes also said that Catholics had the right to read them as it
would “endangered their salvation”.

First the debate over the Rizal Bill was a show-down between the secular nationalists led by the
two senators from Batangas, Claro M. Recto and Jose P. Laurel, and those who felt that Rizal’s
writings undermined the Catholic Church, consisting of Francisco Rodrigo, Mariano J. Cuenco
and Decoroso Rosales. The law aimed to revive patriotism by promoting the teachings of the
national hero. Quoting from Cuenco’s speech on the floor: Rizal “attacked dogmas, beliefs and
practices of the Church.” The assertion that Rizal limited himself to castigating undeserving
priests and refrained from criticizing, ridiculing or putting in doubt dogmas of the Catholic
church, is absolutely gratuitous and misleading.” Cuenco then proceeded to quote verbatim
passages where Rizal heaped “scorn” upon Catholic teaching on miracles, the sacraments,
indulgences, the veneration of images. An example: “Rizal (says) that the idea of purgatory does
not exist in the Old Testament or in the Gospels; that neither Moses nor Christ made the
slightest mention of it; and that the early Christians did not believe in Purgatory.”

The Second is that the voting in Congress, the initial fence-sitters who eventually voted for the
Rizal Law typically would: one, affirm their nationalism and admiration for Rizal; two, claim to
be faithful to the Church and to their Catholic constituents; and there, says that the bill was a
worthy compromise because it grants religious exemptions and limit its unexpurgated version
to the college level. In other words, these were the saving clauses, do to speak both politically
(as in face-saving) and constitutionally.

The third is that the Rizal Law prevailed despite the pragmatic counter-offer that it was possible
to advance nationalism without Rizal’s anti-clerical baggage, through edited anthologies of Rizal
and of other hero’s too. In other words, there were practical reasons to drop it altogether, but
the principled reason for keeping it won the day. The Rizal Law was a political triumph of
secular nationalism.

B. The Republic Act 1425

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 AND WRITINGS OF JOSE RIZAL, PARTICULARLY HIS
NOVELS NOLI ME TANGERE AND EL FILIBUSTERISMO, AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING AND
DISTRIBUTION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our history, there is a need for a re-dedication
to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died;
WHEREAS, it is meet that in honoring them, particularly the national hero and patriot, Jose
Rizal, we remember with special fondness and devotion their lives and works that have shaped
the national characters.
WHEREAS, the life, works and writing of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo, are a constant and inspiring source of patriotism with which the minds of the
youth, especially during their formative and decisive years in school, should be suffused;
WHEREAS, all educational institutions are under the supervision of, and subject to regulation by
the State, and all schools are enjoined to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic
conscience and to teach the duties of citizenship; Now, therefore,
Section 1.
Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novel Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo, shall be included in the curricula of all schools, colleges and universities,
public or private: Provided, That in the collegiate courses, the original or unexpurgated editions
of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo of their English translation shall be used as basic
texts. The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed to adopt forthwith
measures to implement and carry out the provisions of this Section, including the writing and
printing of appropriate primers, readers and textbooks. The Board shall, within sixty (60) days
from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate rules and regulations, including those of disciplinary
nature, to carry out and enforce the provisions of this Act. The Board shall promulgate rules and
regulations providing for the exemption of students for reasons of religious belief stated in a
sworn written statement, from the requirement of the provision contained in the second part
of the first paragraph of this section; but not from taking the course provided for in the first
part of said paragraph. Said rules and regulations shall take effect thirty (30) days after their
publication in the Official Gazette.
Section 2.
It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and universities to keep in their libraries an
adequate number of copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal's other
works and biography. The said unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo or their translations in English as well as other writings of Rizal shall be included
in the list of approved books for required reading in all public or private schools, colleges and
universities. The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of the number of
books, depending upon the enrollment of the school, college or university.
Section 3.
The Board of National Education shall cause the translation of the Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, as well as other writings of Jose Rizal into English, Tagalog and the principal
Philippine dialects; cause them to be printed in cheap, popular editions; and cause them to be
distributed, free of charge, to persons desiring to read them, through the Purok organizations
and Barrio Councils throughout the country.
Section 4.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amendment or repealing section nine hundred
twenty-seven of the Administrative Code, prohibiting the discussion of religious doctrines by
public school teachers and other person engaged in any public school.
Section 5.
The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is hereby authorized to be appropriated out of any
fund not otherwise appropriated in the National Treasury to carry out the purposes of this Act.
Section 6.
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved: June 12, 1956

Additional Readings:

1. The Relevance of Dr. José Rizal for Today’s Filipino & Filipino American Youth By Steven Raga
2. Jose B. Laurel Jr. “The Trials of the Rizal Bill”, Historical Bulletin vol. no. 2 (1960):130-139.

Issues or Challenges

Cuenco, Senator Decoroso Rosales and the Catholic Church Claimed that Rizal had violated
Canon Law 1399, which forbids books from attacking the Catholic Church. 120 out of the 333
pages were Anti-Church while 25 out of the 333 pages were patriotic.

Jose Rizal’s vast role in the attainment of the nation’s freedom led to the issuance of Republic
Act 1425 on June 12, 1956. Commonly known as the Rizal Act, it was sponsored by Senator
Claro M. Recto.
It is Senator Claro M. Recto who authored the Rizal Bill ( Rizal Bill of 1956). While Senator Jose
P. Laurel, Sr., who was then the Chairman of the Committee on Education, sponsored the bill in
the Senate.