THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSE RIZAL (GE 112)

Name: REANA BEA A. LEYSA Course/Section: BSED FILIPINO 2B

Professor: LAGRIMAS SIMON TRINIDAD Date: NOVEMBER 26, 2020

ACTIVITY 1: Mind Exercise

1. Compare and Contrast the views of those in favor and against RA 1425, considering the
context of 1950s. Would similar arguments still have force today? 20 pts.

Republic Act No. 1425, known as the Rizal Law and it’s full name 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
mandates all educational institutions in the Philippines to offer courses about José Rizal.

Senator Claro M. Recto authored the bill and sponsored also by the former senator Jose P.
Laurel Sr. at Congress. However, this bill strongly opposed by the Catholic Church. The church
viewed Rizal’s novels as blasphemous. Those who opposed the Rizal Bill painted Recto as
communist and anti-Catholic. They are thinking that the novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo violate freedom of conscience and religion, damaging for the clerics, contradicts
many Christian’s beliefs and insisted that the novels contains passages in contradiction to the
faith of the students that violates the Article III section I paragraph VII of the Constitutional
Provisions.

Those who are favor and fought for this bill believed that the intention of the proposed
bill is to give importance to our hero Jose Rizal for what he has done for our country. It is to
encourage dedication for the ideas freedom, patriotism, and nationalism for which our heroes
lived, fought and died. It is just to give our hero the respect and for the life he offer to our
country.  Rizal Law aims to accomplish the following goals. First, to rededicate the lives of
youth to the ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which our heroes lived and died. Second, to
pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the Filipino character.
And lastly, to gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of Rizal’s life, works, and
writings.

I think the arguments does not have that strong force today because according to the said
bill The Board shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students
for reasons of religious belief. It means that if a student has its own reasonable reason related to
the religion or beliefs, they will provide exemption. Not the same in the past years that arguing
the freedom our country by being dependent in other country today all most a lot of Filipinos
adopt the culture of other country because of the generation involve the nationalism. And we are
different now because the generation today we can do whatever we want we have freedom to live
and choice what life we can take from the future.
ACTIVITY 2
Activity: Mind Exercise
Reflect on your secondary education; did your school comply with RA 1425? 20 pts.
How effective is the Rizal Law in instilling patriotism among secondary school students? 20 pts.

Yes, back on my secondary education my school comply with RA 1425 because Rizal’s
Law states that life and works of Jose Rizal should be taught in schools and universities to
students during their formative and decisive years. The law aims to develop within the students’
moral character, personal discipline, and civic conscience. Back on my secondary education, we
have a subject related to Jose Rizal’s novels the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo and we
read the content of it and my favourite part is all about Crisostomo Ibarra and Maria Clara’s love
story. I just find it very interesting and I can’t deny the fact that it makes the Noli Me Tangere
very exciting. Back to the law, the RA 1425 comes with a premise that the life and works of
Rizal can influence an individual to choose what is morally just, to act with discipline, and to
function in society as a citizen that values co-existence and social responsibility. The law also
believes that the life and works of Rizal are inspiring sources of patriotism. With patriotism
generally the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to a homeland and alliance with
other citizens who share the same sentiment. This attachment can be a combination of many
different feelings relating to one's own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political or historical
aspects.

Rizal Law is very effective in instilling patriotism among secondary school students
because Rizal and his ideals, his life and works are taught with integrity and passion and his
works not only show what he fought for. They also show the problems we had then. Through his
novels, he expressed and showed his unconditional and self-less love, he fight for his country
and countrymen and he died for our country the Philippines. He fought for the rights of every
Filipinos. He wanted a Filipino representative in the Spanish Parliament, Filipino Friars, and
equal rights between Spaniards and Filipinos. He wanted the country to have a voice in the arena
of its conqueror; He wanted the people to be given a chance to realise their rights; He wanted the
country to have a chance to realise what is really right and wrong before God; He wanted
Filipinos to have a chance to think and to therefore establish what is right and wrong for them as
a society. His novels showed every detail and problem we have before and through reading it, we
will be able to know the situations back in the colonization times and what else our heroes done
for our country. Through reading his novels, we will realize that we are very lucky for not
experiencing those painful days and because of that we will learn to give importance, be patriotic
and love our country.

EVALUATION:
Quiz: What will be your vote if you are a Senator during the passing of the Rizal Bill? Explain
your stand. 20 pts.

I will give a yes and full support during the passing of the Rizal Bill because for me, I
don’t see any problem with that. Why not? Rizal offer his life for our country and by passing a
bill for him is not that bad or a big deal for me. I think Rizal deserves to be remembered of every
Filipinos in this country and serves as an inspiration for his love and respect for the country. We
can’t enjoy our freedom if they, our heroes not only Jose Rizal fight for it. It will also serves as
our thank you offer for him. Whatever has been written in those novels which was all about what
happened or what Jose Rizal observed in our country during the colonization times. If it violates
someone’s belief, well they have their own way how to deal with it.
Rizal Law aims to accomplish the following goals. First, to rededicate the lives of youth
to the ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which our heroes lived and died. Second, to pay
tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the Filipino character. And
lastly, to gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of Rizal’s life, works, and
writings. These three goals of Rizal Law are all positive and I believe this will help to restore the
love of the youth to the country and also to reflect to their life and it will make them realize that
they are very lucky for the freedom they have today.

It is important to study Rizal’s life and his writings including other heroes because of the
contributions they gave to the country is priceless. We only know the little things and
background about the story of their lives, and if we dig deeper into this, we will learn many
lessons and inspirations with their works. !he love they give for the country. If all of the youth
also inherit this kind of concern and patriotism for the country, for sure we will have a nonstop
cycle of ignited youths that soon will be leaders.