Kim C.

Obedencio

What is R.A. 1425?

 Republic Act No. 1425, also known as Rizal, mandates all educational institutions in the
Philippines to offer course about Rizal.

Contents of the Law

 Section 1: Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo must be the original copy.

 Section 2: School libraries should have sufficient copies.
 Section 3: Board of National Education must handle the translation of Rizal’s works.
 Section 4: This act does not alter the section 927 of administrative code in prohibiting
any persons engaged in any public schools to discuss religious doctrines.
 Section 5: The authorized amount of 300, 000 pesos is enough to pursue and implement
the purpose of this act according to National Treasury.
 Section 6: This act must be implemented right after its approval.

History

 Senator M. Claro was the author of the bill.

 Senator Jose P. Laurel sponsored the law.
 June 12, 1956, President Ramon Magsaysay signed the law as Republic Act 1425.
 The Republic Act was signed by the President on June 12, 1956. From the notes
preceding the body of the document, one may infer that the bill was originally proposed
in the Legislative arm of the Philippine Republic, in the Senate and House of
Representatives. According to the Official Gazette, the law was made effective thirty
days after its implementation. The mere fact that the Act was passed on the date of our
independence seeks to stir up a greater sense of fervor in the Filipino, to believe in their
own country and national identity—who we are as a nation. It was this time when the
Philippines was heavily dependent on the American government for support and
guidance. Also, based on the fact that Jose Rizal is honored by the Philippines as the
Philippine national hero, it is but appropriate that the document written to commemorate
his accomplishments is written here, in the land of his birth.
Objectives of the law

 Enrich the minds of the youth about the history of the Philippines.
 The study of Rizal’s works should be implemented by the government.
 To appreciate Rizal’s ideals and teachings in relation to the present conditions of our
country and apply in current social problems/issues.
 To foster the development of the Filipino youth.

Why is there a need to study the life and works of Rizal?

It is important to study the life and works of Jose Rizal in order for us to give utmost
importance to the ideals of freedom, nationalism and patriotism that our hero hardly fought for.
Furthermore, through his life and works it will give us a better vision of what is it like during the
Spanish era and how Filipino’s deal with it and they were oppressed in their own land. He
noticed the continued suffering of his countrymen at the hands of the Spaniards and sought to put
an end to this situation. He decided to improve on his personal studies to acquire knowledge that
he would later on pass to his people through novels and poems. His famous novels the "Noli Me
Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" pointed out the issues that the true citizens of Philippines faced
under Spanish rule and the need to take decisive action to liberate themselves from oppression.
His actions resonated well with that of his countrymen and eventually the people decided to rise
up and defend for their rights and freedom. His love for the country led him to his execution; he
showed such a heroic act of sacrificing his own life for an accusation and being a good role
model in the rebellion of the Filipinos. He is selfless. He fought just using paper and pen. He
fought with his writings instead of violence like using the mind over strength.
Laica Monica Cardenio

What is R.A. 1425?

Republic Act No. 1425, known as the Rizal Law, mandates all educational institutions in
the Philippines to offer courses about José Rizal. 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 Tángere and El
Filibusterismo.

Senator Claro M. Recto was the main proponent of the Rizal Bill. He sought to sponsor the bill at
Congress. However, this was met with stiff opposition from the Catholic Church. During the 1955 Senate
election, the church charged Recto with being a communist and an anti-Catholic. After Recto's election,
the Church continued to oppose the bill mandating the reading of Rizal's novels Noli Me Tángere and El
Filibusterismo, claiming it would violate freedom of conscience and religion.

In the 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
these symposiums, Fr. 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 refuse to read them as it would "endanger their salvation".

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
Veteranos de la Revolucion (Spirit of 1896), Alagad in Rizal, the Freemasons, and the Knights of Rizal.
The Senate Committee on Education sponsored a bill co-written by both José P. Laurel and Recto, with
the only opposition coming from Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Mariano Jesús Cuenco, and Decoroso Rosales.

The Archbishop of Manila, Rufino Santos, protested in a pastoral letter that Catholic students
would be affected if compulsory reading of the unexpurgated version were pushed through. Arsenio
Lacson, Manila's mayor, who supported the bill, walked out of Mass when the priest read a circular from
the archbishop denouncing the bill.

On May 12, 1956, a compromise inserted by Committee on Education chairman Laurel that
accommodated the objections of the Catholic Church was approved unanimously. The bill specified that
only college (university) students would have the option of reading unexpurgated versions of clerically-
contested reading material, such as Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo. The bill was enacted on June
12, 1956, Flag Day.
Why is there a need to study the life and works of Rizal?

There is a great, vital need to study the works and life of Rizal. He is our greatest national hero,
others described him as "the first greatest filipino." He was a genuis and the Pride of the Malayan race.
He was a poet, doctor, architect, businessman, educator, economist, historian, inventor, musician,
psychologist, sculptor, sociologist, opthalmic surgeon, physicist and many more. He was a traveller and
mastered 22 languages and has published many of his works with the highly nationalistic and
revolutionary tendencies with the hope of securing political and social reforms in the Philippines during
the Spanish era. Noli Me Tangere is one of his books published in Berlin in 1877 which exposed the
arrogance and despotism by the Spanish clergy and EL FILIBUSTERISMO as a sequel and more tragic than
the NOLI was published on September 1891 in Ghent. He was fearless and stirred the political arena
which resulted to his imprisonement. He was a political exile and even then it did not stop him from
writing and teaching. Before his execution in Dec 30, 1896, he wrote an untitled poem which now
known "ULTIMO ADIOS", a masterpiece. Rizal and His Works has been included in the curriculum by the
Department of Education because his life and works inspire Filipinos, to be proud of their motherland
and native-tongue, to prove that Filipinos are capable to be equal if not excel even to those who treat us
as slave. His brilliance,determination, patience and perseverance are just few of his virtues whom , us,
Filipinos admired and undyingly refered to whenever we are in the
lowest low.