1. What is Rizal Law?

The Rizal Law is about implementing rules to educate people about the Life, Works, and
Writings of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, especially his novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo. This is to give the students and the future generations an ample background and
for them to understand about how Jose Rizal hands over his life for our country. It also
mandates schools to keep adequate copies of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo and Rizal’s
other works which will be included in the list of approved books for required reading. Further,
the law also provides that while the teaching of Rizal as a subject is required, the doctrine of
the separation of the church and the state is upheld.

2. What Republic Act was it?

The Rizal Law, also known as Republic Act No. 1425 that states, “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. This was approved on
June 12, 1956 and was published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956.

3. Who push for the inclusion of Rizal's as a mandatory subject in College?

Jose Rizal’s vast role in the attainment of the nation’s freedom led to the issuance of Republic
Act 1425. 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. 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. Amidst the strong opposition not only from
some of his fellow lawmakers but from influential sectors outside Congress, it was later on
approved and signed into law by President Ramon Magsaysay on June 12, 1956.
4. Differentiate expurgated from non- expurgated version of Rizal.
The expurgated works of Rizal are those works which some parts are removed especially if it
was believed to be morally harmful, offensive, or erroneous while the unexpurgated version are
his original works with none of the parts removed including those potentially offensive or
otherwise objectionable. In the original bill drafted, reading of the unexpurgated versions of the
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo was compulsory among students. This was the bone of
controversy to some of the Senators, the press, and the Catholic Church. The substitute bill
sponsored by Senator Laurel corrected this by ordering that the compulsory aspect of reading
the unexpurgated versions be applicable only to those in the collegiate level but the two books
must be present in the libraries of all schools. Despite of the compromise that was drawn
wherein students were no longer compelled to read the unexpurgated versions of the Noli and
Fili, the fact that the courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal were to be included in
the curricula of all schools, colleges and universities, private or public, remained. And this has
been in effect since then.