Lecture 1:GEC-RIZAL

REPUBLIC ACT 1425 (The Rizal Law) Full Text 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 writing of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli ME
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, authorizing the printing and distribution thereof, and for
other purposes.
● Its primary aim is to inculcate in students an increased sense of nationalism at a time
when the Filipino identity is threatened by various factors.

WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our history, there is a need for a rededication
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,
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 novels 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 or their English
translations 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 a 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 Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal's other works and biography. The said
unexpurgated editions of 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 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 persons 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 Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956.

Historical Context of the Rizal Law

● It was House Bill No. 5561 and Senate Bill No.438 that was written by Jose P. Laurel,
Jacobo Gonzales and Claro M. Recto respectively, denoted as Noli-Fili Bill.
● 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, creating a
decoration intended to perpetuate Rizal's memory, to be known as the Rizal Pro Patria
Award.

Claro M. Recto

● Filipino politician, jurist, poet.

● Father of the Rizal Law, he sponsored the Rizal bill together with fellow lawmakers.
● Known as abogado milagroso(lawyer of miracles)
● Father of Philippine Constitution
● He presided over the assembly that draft the Philippine Constitution;1934-1935 in
accordance with the provision of Tydings McDuffie and a preliminary step to
independence and self-governance after a 10 year transitional period

Rizal Bill

● The Rizal Bill has some controversial issues much as Rizal himself was.
● The Principal author of the bill, Claro M. Recto, was called a communist and an
anti-Catholic for proposing the Rizal Bill.

Historical Controversy of Rizal Law

● Sen. Decoroso Rosales, Mariano Cuenco and Francisco Rodrigo opposed the idea
because it violates the religious freedom of the Filipino.
● Catholic groups averse the bill but were countered by organizations such as freemasonry,
knights and Alagad ni Rizal.
● Father Jesus Cavanna was one of the opposition to the bill.
● 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
● Rizal Law was signed into a law by President Ramon Magsaysay and enacted on June 12,
1956

Traits to be Acquired According to Jose P. Laurel in studying Rizal

● Incorruptible
● Confidence
● Direction
● Courage and determination
● High sense of relationship
● Nationalism and Patriotism
Patriotism VS. Nationalism

Patriotism

● Is the love someone feels for their country that is based on the idea that this country
itself is good and that good people live there

Nationalism

● Also is the love and affection for one’s country, but it’s based on the idea that this
particular country is better than all the rest.

Dr. Jose Rizal

● He was chosen as the Greatest Philippine National Hero

● Also, a person of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger and an individual honored
after death by public worship because of laudable and exceptional service to mankind.
● Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Y Alonzo Realonda was a man of many talents.
● The Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo provided the ember that awakened Filipino
nationalism and paved the way for the Philippine Revolution of 1896.
● He proved that “Pen is Mightier than the sword” to redeem people from their political
slavery.

Criteria for Choosing a National Hero

Dr. Otley H. Beyer, an anthropologist and technical member of the panel of the Philippines
Commission recommended the following criteria in choosing the national hero
1. The person must be a Filipino
2. Must be peace-loving and pacifist
3. Must have great sense of patriotism
4. Must have die for the country as a martyr

Rizal acquired the official title of Philippine National Hero in 1901 under the country's first
American civil governor, William Howard Taft

Reason for Choosing Rizal as Philippine’s National Hero

1. He was the first Filipino to unite and awaken the Filipino people to peacefully rise for
independence
2. He is a model for being a peacemaker by his complete self-denial, his complete
abandonment of his personal interest and to think only of his country and people
3. He was a towering figure in the propaganda campaign from 1882-1896
4. He was a martyr at Bagumbayan where he willingly died for our country.
Executive Summary

No law, executive order or proclamation has been enacted or issued officially

proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national hero, However, because of their significant
roles in the process of nation building and contributions to history, there were laws enacted and
proclamations issued honoring these heroes.
Even Jose Rizal, considered as the greatest among the Filipino heroes, was not explicitly
proclaimed as a national hero. The position he now holds in Philippine history is a tribute to the
continued veneration or acclamation of the people in recognition of his contribution to the
significant social transformation that took place in our country.
Aside from Rizal, the only other given an implied recognition as a national hero is Andres
Bonifacio whose day of birth on Nov. 30 has been made a national holiday.
Despite the lack of any official declaration explicitly proclaiming them as national
heroes, they remain admired and revered for their roles in Philippine history Heroes, according
to historians, should not be legislated. Their appreciation should be better left to academics.
Acclamation for heroes, they felt, would be recognition enough.

On November 15, 1995, the Technical Committee after deliberation and careful study
based on Dr. Onofre Corpuz and Dr, Alfredo Lagmay’s selected the following nine Filipino
historical figures to be recommended as National Heroes.

1. Jose rizal
2. Andres Bonifacio
3. Emilio Aguinaldo
4. Apolinario mabini
5. Marcelo H. Del Pilar
6. Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat
7. Juan Luna
8. Melchora Aquino
9. Gabriela Silang

National Heroes Committee

On March 28, 1993, President Fidel Ramos issued Executive Order No. 75 entitled
“Creating the National Heroes Committee Under the Office of the President”
The principal duty of the Committee is to study, evaluate and recommend Filipino national
personages/heroes in due recognition of their sterling character and remarkable.achievements
for the country.
NCCA or National Commission for Culture and the Arts

● According to them the possible reason why there is no declared National Philippine Hero
is because it might trigger a flood of requests for proclamation and it may also trigger
bitter debates over historical controversies about the heroes.

Honors Accorded to Rizal as the Philippine National Hero

1. The day of his birth and the day of his execution are fittingly commemorated by all
classes of people throughout the country and other Filipinos abroad
2. No other Filipino hero can surpass Rizal in the number of monuments erected in his
honor, in towns, barrios and schools.
3. His name is by-word in every home and his picture is printed and used in postage stamps
4. The paper money/coins with his image have the widest circulation that the poorest of
the poor can take hold.
5. Streets, boulevards, educational institutions and persons were named after “Rizal”
6. His noble thoughts and teaching had been frequently invoked and quoted by speakers
7. The union of Manila and Morong to be a province was named after the illustrious
the Filipino hero thus the Rizal province was established.

The Hero of Andres Bonifacio and the Katipuneros

Rizal had the great influence to Andres Bonifacio, through reading als works,
nationalistic sentiments of Bonifacio was enhanced and the novel of Rizal gave Bonifacio nan
idea about the revolution. And we may consider Bonifacio as the first hero who recognized Jose
Rizal as his hero. The fanaticism of Andres Bonifacio to Rizal was evident when Andres attended
the founding of La Liga Filipina on July 3, 1892. The La Liga Filipina civic organization founded by
Jose Rizal which aimed for the reform in the society through education and the unity of the
whole archipelago. However, the organization did not attain its goal because Rizal was exiled to
Dapitan and there for four years (July 1892-July 1896) and his exile pushed Andre's Donacio and
another six people to establish KKK (Kataastaasang Katipunang mga Anak ng Bayan). KKK had a
different objective than the La Liga Filipina because it did not aim for reform but independence
from Spanish rule through revolution. The extent of influence of Rizal to Andres was also seen in
some aspects of the KKK, the password of Bayani, the highest grade or group in KKK was Rizal.
The photograph of Rizal was also hang in the headquarters of the Kkk. And the presence of
Andres Bonifacio in founding of La Liga Filipina on July 3, 1892 was one of the evidence that the
Spaniards used to associate Rizal to Bonifacio and as the founder of KKK.
While Rizal was in Dapitan, Andres Bonifacio and the members of KKK had the
opportunity to expand to the other provinces of the country, from Manila to Cavite, Laguna,
Batangas, Bataan and other provinces which joined the uprising in 1896. The name Jose Rizal
was used to collect funds since during that time Jose Rizal was considered as a national figure.
This action of the Katipuneros became part of the evidence of the Spaniards that Jose Rizal was
truly the leader of KKK and the uprisings in 1896.
In May 1896, the emissary of KKK (Dr. Pio Valenzuela) informed Jose zal about the plan
of the Revolutionists and sought advice from him. However, Jose Rizal was against the
revolution because he knew that the Filipinos were not yet ready for the revolution and they did
not have a clear picture of good government that they should establish after the downfall of the
Spanish government in the Philippines. Aside from this, Rizal believed that the assistance of the
Creoles and the Illustrados was very much important in the revolution since they were
educated.
In July 1896, Jose Rizal boarded a ship that would bring him to Singapore and from
Singapore, he would travel to Spain because the Governor General granted his request that he
could be a volunteer doctor to Cuba. But upon his arrival in Madrid, he was not allowed to leave
the ship for almost a month. He stayed in the ship and then returned to the Philippines as a
prisoner in Fort Santiago. This was because the Spanish government already had the suspicion
about the existence of KKK that Rizal was the founder of the secret society,
On August 19, 1896, the existence of KKK was revealed to the Spanish government and on
August 25, 1896, the uprising started and even without concrete evidence, Rizal was accused as
the leader of the uprising. The existence of KKK and the revolution were used by the friars to
execute Rizal. Thus, the idea of revolution that Rizal wrote in his novels also became the reason
why he was executed on December 30, 1896.

The Hero of Emilio Aguinaldo and the First Philippine Republic

The death of Jose Rizal was the start of the real battle of the Filipinos against the
Spaniards. His death intensified the hate feelings of the Filipinos against the Spaniards. The KKK
continued their struggle against the Spaniards and the colonial government in the Philippines
was near to its end. However, because of the issue about leadership, the conflict between the
two factions of KKK (Magdiwang-Magdalo) led to the disunity of the katipuneros and the
execution of Andres Bonifacio signed by Emilio Aguinaldo. The death of Andres Bonifacio was
one of the factors of the failure of the uprisings of the Filipino and on December 12-15, 1897,
the Spaniards and the Filipino decided to end the hostility and signed the Treaty of Biak na Bato.
However, the group of Emilio Aguinaldo had the opportunity to communicate to the
Americans in Singapore and with their aid, the Spanish colonial government in the Philippines
ended. Upon the return of Emilio Aguinaldo from Hong Kong, he declared the independence of
the Philippines on June 12, 1898 and he became the first President. The administration of
Aguinaldo on December 20, 1898, issued his first proclamation wherein he declared December
30 as Rizal day and ordered for the half mast of the Filipino flag from 12:00 noon on December
29 until 12:00 noon of December. (Zaide, 1994)
The Hero of the Other Nationalities
Jose P. Rizal was a well travelled hero; he lived in Europe for eight years and was able to
travel to Japan, America and North America. During his travels, he spent his time inside the ship
in conversation with other nationalities. Languages were not a hindrance to him since he knew
different languages. While in Europe, he attended different gatherings where intelligent and
known people were involved. He wrote different novels, essays and poems that were published
in Europe and circulated in different parts of the world. And on his death, the people who had
the opportunity to witness his brilliance gave tribute to his greatness.
On November 20, 1897 at the initiative of Dr. Rudolph Virchow, the President of the
Anthropological Society of Berlin sponsored the scientific neurological services to honor Rizal.
And the periodicals from different countries published the account of Rizal martyrdom to pay
tribute to his greatness. In 1902, congressman Henry Allen Cooper of Wisconsin delivered a
eulogy for Rizal and recited one of his work (Último Pensamiento) to prove to the Congress the
capability of the Filipino people for self-government since the race was able to produce a
brilliant personality like Rizal. The result of his appeal was the approval of the Cooper Law or the
Philippine Bill of 1902 (De Ocampo).

During the American colonization in the Philippines, Jose Rizal was formally recognized
and the Americans gave importance to the contributions of Rizal, especially his idea about social
reform. The Americans used education as a method of pacification and so with Jose Rizal who
viewed education as means of attaining reform. The first American civil governor in the
Philippines, William Howard Taft approved the Act No. 137 which organized the politico military
district of Morong into the province of Rizal. Taft's action was in line with their custom of
naming the important localities in the memory of the person who had a great influence in the
community and in the country. The naming of the district of Morong after Rizal was the first
official recognition of the Americans to our hero. It was also William Howard Taft who first
expressed the need to choose a national hero to the members of the Philippine Assembly. The
discussion of the commission resulted to the list of the following heroes from the Philippines
namely: Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Jose P. Rizal, Gen. Antonio Luna, Emilio
Jacinto and Andres Bonifacio and among the list it was Jose P. Rizal who was chosen as the
National hero because of his contribution in building the sense of nationhood and because of
the extent of the influence of his writings to the Filipinos.
Aside from naming the province of Morong after his name, in 1913 the American
government in the Philippines ordered the creation of his monument (Kilometer Zero) in Luneta
which marked the origin of the distance of the places in the Philippines
The Hero for the Filipino Youth

The worth of a hero could not be known to different generations if the people did not
have a clear understanding of his life, struggles and writings. The life of Dr. Jose P. Rizal was well
documented since he left numerous writings, a diary and a lot of correspondence to his family
and friends.

In July 1936. Jose P. Laurel, Claro M. Recto, Jose B. Laurel Jr., Jacobo Gonzales, Lorenzo
Tanada and other lawmakers sponsored the Republic Act 1995 that would enforce the teaching
of the life and works of Jose P. Rizal in all public and private schools, colleges and universities.
This law was implemented on August 10, 1956 by the National Congress of Education and was
known as Rizal Law.