Jose Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda

National Hero

Who made Rizal our National hero?

- Some suggest that Jose Rizal was made a legislated national hero by the American forces
occupying the Philippines. In 1901, the American Governor General William Howard
Taft suggested that the U.S. sponsored Philippine Commission name Rizal a national hero for
Filipinos.

- Some Filipinos believed that Rizal is a “Made to order” National hero and the great
manufacturers are Americans (Governor W.H. Taft).

Definition of a HERO:

 A prominent or central personage taking admirable part in any remarkable action or event
 A person of distinguished valor (-great courage) or enterprise in danger
 A man honored after death by public worship because of exceptional service to mankind

Contributions of Rizal

 Noli Me Tangere on the top of the towering figure on the Propaganda Movement.
 Rizal was recognized as the leading Filipino even before his death
 Here and abroad recognized his leadership
President of La Solidaridad
Organized and chief of Indios Bravos
Responsible of the Spanish - Filipino Association
Founder of La Liga Filipina

1. Who made Rizal the foremost hero of the Philippines?

 NO SINGLE PERSON OR GROUPS OF PERSON
 Rizal himself, his own people and the foreigners all together contributed to make him the
greatest hero and martyr of his people

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425

June 12, 1956 (Sen. Claro M. Recto)
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

2. Proponents of Republic Act No. 1425

 Senator Claro M. Recto was the main proponent of the Rizal Bill.

"The people who would eliminate the books of Rizal from the schools would blot out from our minds
the memory of the national hero. This is not a fight against Recto but a fight against Rizal" says Recto
to the Catholic Church (Simabahang Katolika)

 The Senate Committee on Education sponsored a bill co-written by both José P. Laurel and

Senator Claro M. Recto.

-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

3. What was the time when Rizal was born and what are the
conditions of that time?
 Rizal was born on 19 June 1861 at 23:30 (= 11:30 PM)

Condition in Rizal’s time: Nick Joaquin, in his biography Rizal in Saga describe Rizal’s boyhood town

 The house he grew up in was well situated in Calamba; right next to the church at the edge of the
plaza.
 The Philippines in 1861 was a territory just waking to its nationalism and potential. With
certain liberal economic policies, new trade, new capital was flowing in and out. Business was
beginning to boom. This was a nation on the rise, and with the added economic prosperity (of
which Filipinos were finally partaking) new thoughts and new desires were being known. Chief
among them was education and social and political equality. Twenty-six years after his birth,
Jose Rizal would publish Noli mi Tangere, followed by El Filibusterismo. These works, along
with his Propaganda endeavors in Europe with other Filipinos, would be the intellectual and
philosophical backbone upon which the Revolution rested.

Wencheslao Retana
Wenceslao "Wenchesco" Emilio Retana y Gamboa (1862–1924), also known as W.E. Retana or
Wenceslao E. Retana, was a 19th-century Spanish civil servant, colonial administrator, writer, biographer,
political commentator, publisher, bibliophile, bibliographer, Filipiniana collector, Spanish filipinologist,
and Philippine scholar.

Retana was a "onetime adversary" of Philippine national hero José Rizal who later became an "admirer"
who wrote the first biographical account of the life of Rizal entitled Vida y Escritos del Dr. José Rizal
or "Life and Writings of Dr. José Rizal".

4. What are the provision of Republic ACT 1425?

Third Session - Begun and held in the city of Manila on Monday January 23, 1956

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
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 character;

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,

 there is a need for a re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism

 in honoring our national heroes (e.g. Jose Rizal), we remember their lives and works
 Jose Rizal works particularly his novels are constant and inspiring source of patriotism during
the decisive years of youth
  all schools are enjoined to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience and to
teach the duties of citizenship

SECTION 1: Life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, shall be included in the curricula of all schools.
Provided that the original or unexpurgated editions of his books shall be used as basic texts.

The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed

 to implement and carry out the provisions (to provide or supply) of this Section (e.g. writing
and printing).
 BNE shall promulgate rules and regulations (e.g. disciplinary nature).
 shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students for reasons of
religious belief 

SECTION 2: It shall be obligatory on all schools, to keep in their libraries an adequate number of
copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of all Rizal’s works and biography.

The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of the number of books

SECTION 3: The Board of National Education (BNE) shall cause the translation (e.g. English,
Filipino, Principal dialects) of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo as well as other writings of
Jose Rizal. To be printed in cheap and cause them to be distributed to persons desiring to read them.

SECTION 4: Nothing in this Act shall be interpreted as amendment or repealing (taking back-

repel) Section 927 of Administrative code (law authorizing religious instruction in the public schools) at
the time of the approval of the Constitution is contained, 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.