GEC 19 THE LIFE,

WORKS AND WRITINGS

OF JOSE P. RIZAL
LESSON 1 RA 1425 “Rizal Law”
• Mandates all educational institutions in the Philippines to teach the
life, works and writings of Jose Rizal. Its primary aim is to inculcate
students an increased sense of nationalism at a time when the
Filipino identity is threatened by various factors
The Context of the Rizal Bill
• The aftermath of the Second World War called for recovery on a
national scale
• Nationalists find ways to aid the Filipino youth in the formation of
their national consciousness
• Sen. Claro M. Recto, believed that studying the life and works of Rizal
would be instrumental in teaching the youth to stand up for the
country
• It met several opposition from the Catholic church, when it was
sponsored by Jose P. Laurel –the head of the Senate Committee on
Educatio
Catholic Church vs. The Bill
• Catholic Action of the Philippines, the Congregation of the Mission,
the Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic Teachers Guild.
• The Catholic Church accused Recto of being a communist and
anti-Catholic.
• Believed that mandating students to read the two novels would
violate the freedom of conscience and religion
• Encouraged supporters to write to their congressmen and senators to
show their opposition
• Organized symposiums and for a to denounce the approval of the
said bill
Catholic Church vs. The Bill
• Fr. Jesus Cavanna “ the novels belonged to the past and that teaching
them would misinterpret the current condition of the Philippines

• Jesus Paredes, Catholics had the right to refuse to read the novels as
it would endanger their salvation

• Archbishop of Manila, Rufino Santos. It stated that Catholic students

would be affected if compulsory reading of the unexpurgated version
would push through
• Rizal attacked dogmas, beliefs, and practices of the Church. Cuenco,
another staunch oppositionist, highlighted Rizal's denial of the
existence of purgatory, as it was not found in the Bible, and that
Moses and Jesus Christ did not mention its existence.
Who supported the Rizal Bill?

• Veteranos de la Revolucion (Spirit of 1896), Alagad ni Rizal, the

Freemasons, and the Knights of Rizal.
• Outside the Senate, a rumor had spread that Catholic schools
threatened to close down if the bill was passed.
• a compromise be made to appease those who opposed the bill. It was
suggested then agreed that the expurgated versions of Rizal's novel
would be used
• On May 12, 1956, the bill, with the compromise inserted by Laurel,
was approved unanimously.
• The bill specified that only college students would have the option to
read the unexpurgated versions of the clerically-contested reading
materials.
• teaching of Rizal's other works, aside from the two novels.
REPUBLIC ACT 1425 (The Rizal
Law) Full Text
• Rizal Bill, it was finally enacted on June 12, 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 EL FILIBUSTERISMO,
AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
RIZAL, PARTICULARLY HIS NOVELS NOLI ME TANGERE AND
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; his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are a constant and
WHEREAS, the life, works and writing of Jose Rizal, particularly 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,
SECTION 1. Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novel 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 translation 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 the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal’s other
works and biography. The said unexpurgated editions of the 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 the 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 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.
Approved: June 12, 1956
WHY STUDY RIZAL?
• Studying Rizal in the 21st century helps students make sense of the
present by looking back at the past
• Rizal's illustration of 19th-century Philippines in his works may aid
today's generation in recognizing the ills of present day Philippines
• studying Rizal may remind and urge them to understand the real
essence of being a Filipino
• help the younger generation navigate Philippine history and
understand why being aware of social issues are important in the
formation of one's national identity.
• Rizal's experiences and ideologies are instrumental in grasping the
current context of Philippine society
• aids in developing the critical thinking skills of students..
• worthy role model and a constant inspiration to all Filipinos.
• inspiration to the Philippine nation, Rizal will always be a valuable
subject inside and outside the classroom in understanding how the
Philippine nation came to be.
LESSON 2 RIZAL AND THE THEORY OF
NATIONALISM
•

NATION
A group of people that NATION-STATE
STATE
shares a common culture, A state governing a
history, language, and A state governing a nation
nation
other practices like
religion, affinity to a
place, etc.
What Is a Nation?”

French philosopher Ernest Renan wrote about the bonds that hold
nations together.

He explained, “A heroic past, great men, glory [are the links between
people] upon which one bases a national idea. . . .
A nation is . . . a large-scale solidarity, constituted by the feeling
of sacrifices that one has made in the past and of those that one
is prepared to make in the future.”
State
• State, political organization of society, or the body politic, or, more
narrowly, the institutions of government.
• The state is a form of human association distinguished from other
social groups by its purpose, the establishment of order and security;
its methods, the laws and their enforcement; its territory, the area of
jurisdiction or geographic boundaries; and finally by its sovereignty.
• The nation-state, in a way, is a fusion of the elements of the nation
(people/community) and the state (territory). The development of
nation-states started in Europe during the periods coinciding with the
Enlightenment.
How did the nation-state
emerged?
1. many scholars posit that the process was an evolution from being a state into a
nation-state in which the members of the bureaucracy (lawyers, politicians,
diplomats, etc.) eventually moved to unify the people within the state to build the
nation state.
2. A second path was taken by subsequent nation-states which were formed from
nations. In this process, intellectuals and scholars laid the foundations of a nation
and worked towards the formation of political and eventually diplomatic
recognition to create a nation-state.
3. A third path taken by many Asian and African people involved breaking off from a
colonial relationship, especially after World War II when a series of decolonization
and nation-(re)building occurred. During this time, groups initially controlled by
imperial powers started to assert their identity to form a nation and build their own
state from the fragments of the broken colonial ties.
4. A fourth path was by way of (sometimes violent) secessions by people already
part of an existing state.
Nation and Bayan
• The works of Virgilio Enriquez, Prospero Covar, and Zeus Salazar,
among others, attempted to identify and differentiate local
categories for communities and social relations.
• The indigenous intellectual movements like Sikolohiyang Pilipino and
Bagong Kasaysayan introduced the concepts of kapwa and bayan
that can enrich discussions about nationalism in the context of the
Philippines.
• Kapwa is an important concept in the country's social
relations. Filipino interaction is mediated by
understanding one's affinity with another as described
by the phrases "ibang tao" and "'di ibang tao." In the
formation and strengthening of social relations, the
kapwa concept supports the notion of unity and
harmony in a community
• From this central concept arise other notions such as
"pakikipagkapwa," "pakikisama," and
"pakikipag-ugnay," as well as the collective
orientation of Filipino culture and psyche.
• Zeus Salazar advances the perspective known as
Pantayong Pananaw as new way of viewing the
history
• indigenization campaign is led by Bagong
Kasaysayan,
• the bayan is an important indigenous concept.
Bayan/Banua, which can be traced all the way to
the Austronesian language family, is actual
community they are identifying with
• bayan/banua encompasses both the spatial
community as well as the imagined community
BAYAN AND NATION
• The concept of bayan clashed with the European notion of nación
during the Spanish colonialism.
• The proponents of Pantayong Pananaw maintain the existence of a
great cultural divide that separated the elite (nación) and the
folk/masses (bayan) as a product of the colonial experience. This
issue brings the project of nation-building to a contested terrain.
Rizal's Works and Nationalism
• Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo emerged as the founding texts
of Philippine nationalism.
• exposed the ills of the Spanish colonial government and the evils
prevailing in the Philippine society by presenting a narrative that
contextualizes the country in terms of politics, economy, and culture.
• literature can be used to arouse people to be catalysts of social
change
• portray the Filipino in different dimensions, from those who had
colonial mentality
• Rizal emphasized the values of nationalism and loving one's country
 Lesson 3 The
Ascendance of Chinese
Mestizo’s
•According to Fr. Jesus Merino
The Filipino nationality, no matter how Malayan it may be
in its main ethnic stock, no matter how Spanish and
Christian it may be in its politics, trade, and aspiration has
been historically and practically shaped not by the Chinese
immigrant but by the Chinese mestizo
• In 1594, the Spanish Governor Luis Perez Dasmariñas created
Binondo as a permanent settlement for Chinese mestizos who
converted to Catholicism.
• Binondo also became the place of intermarriages between Chinese
immigrants and Filipino natives, thus the emergence of Chinese
mestizos.
• As the Chinese population increased, the Spaniards saw them as a
threat to their own rule.
• It was only in 1741 that their legal status was officially established when
the whole population of the Philippines was reclassified into four according
to tax payment or tribute.
• These classes are the (1) Spaniards and Spanish mestizos, (2) Indios, (3)
Chinese, and (4) Chinese mestizos.
• Spaniards and Spanish mestizos were not required to pay tribute or tax,
whereas the three other classes were required to pay taxes depending on
their income.
• a policy that limited the number of Chinese individuals who could reside in
the Philippines and restricted their area of settlement was implemented. At
the end of the 19th century, there were almost 500,000 Chinese mestizos
in the Philippines with 46,000 living in Manila.
At the end of the 19th century, there were almost 500,000 Chinese
mestizos in the Philippines with 46,000 living in Manila.
A Chinese mestizo then was:
• any person born of a chinese father and indio mother;
• a spanish mestiza who married a chinese mestizo; or
• a child of a Spanish mestiza and a Chinese mestizo.
• However, a Chinese mestiza and an Indio were listed as Indios.
• Chinese mestizos became prominent and influential
figures in the area of industry, commerce, and business
during the Spanish colonial period.
-lucrative commerce
-monopolized the internal trading in the Philippines while
-entrepreneurial power of the Chinese mestizos gave way to the
emergence of the Philippine middle class described as "more
active and enterprising, more prudent and pioneering, more
oriented to trade and commerce than the Indios"
• significant role that the Chinese Mestizos played in Philippine society
was the formation of Filipino identity, evident when they became
influential in the economy of the Philippines as a Spanish colony
• John Bowring
• More active and enterprising more prudent and pioneering, more oriented to
trade and commerce than the Indios
• In the capital, Chinese mestizos shared economic power with the
Chinese as exporters-importers, wholesalers, retail traders and
owners of majority of the artisan shops.
• By 1800s, Chinese mestizos in the provinces began to form opinions
regarding the Spanish colonial rule. It was also difficult to separate
the Indios from the Chinese mestizos since they identified themselves
with each other socially and culturally
• this emergent middle class, the Chinese mestizos, rekindled and
intensified the growing national opposition to colonial abuses and
demanded sweeping social reforms.
• 1870s in the writings of Pedro Paterno and Gregorio Sanciano, who
were both Chinese mestizos. Paterno and Sancianco wrote about the
essence of being a Filipino, defended the dignity of the Filipinos, and
explained the supposed indolence of the Indios.
• The significant role of the Chinese mestizos in the making of the
nation was highly evident at the turn of the century.
Nineteenth Century
• Pedro Paterno- wrote the Sampaguita and Ninay
• Gregorio Sancianco- Wrote the El Progreso de Filipinas 1881
-condemns the tribute tax
-explained the Indolence of the Filipinos
• Inspired other Ilustrados such as Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar,
Graciano Lopez Jaena
Rizal and the Chinese Mestizos 
• Rizal is a fifth generation Chinese mestizo
• Through his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo,
Rizal exposed the abuses and corruption of the Spanish aut
horities, condemned the
oppression of the people by the colonizers, and ridiculed th
e hypocrisy and overbearing attitude of the Spanish friars
• Indolence of the Filipinos
• Diyaryong Tagalog entitled El Amor Patrio- greatest, the most
heroic, and the most unselfish deed
• Rizal clearly manifested his antiChinese feelings in his writin
gs, as well as in his correspondence with family and friends.
• By virtue of his lineage, Rizal could have had a special con
nection with the Chinese but such was not the case. The concern on whether
AGRARIAN RELATIONS
AND THE FRIAR LANDS
• Sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the estates primarily served as
cattle ranches as well as farms of subsistence crops
• Rice and sugar later served as main commodities produced in the
haciendas and became important sources of income for religious
orders especially during the nineteenth century
 BRIEF HISTORY OF FRIAR
ESTATE IN THE
• Approximately 120 Spaniards were given grants that were often composed
of a large tract of land known as sitio de Ganado mayor- 1742 hectares and
small tracts of land Caballerias (42.hectares)
• Hacenderos failed to develop their lands
1. Spanish population in the Philippines was transient
2. Market for livestock products, which haciendas offered remained
relatively small until the latter part of the Spanish colonial period
3. Galleon Trade was based in Manila offered bigger economic rewards and
attracted more Spaniards, hacenderos lacked the interest and inclination
to develop their lands, the religious orders soon took over the task
• Lands were donated and sold by Filipino principales however this
persisted commonly held belief that religious orders had no titles and
acquired it through usurpation and dubious means
• Religious estates continued until 19th century in the Tagalog region
constituted approximately 40% of the provinces of Bulacan, Tondo,
Cavite and Laguna
• Agrarian relations developed in the 16th and 17th centuries, haciendas
was primarily composed of lay brothers administrators were under
the direct authority of the heads of religious orders, relatively free to
make their own decisions on administrative affairs
• 18th century economy was export agricultural crops inquilinato
system
• Canon- an individual rents for a fixed annual amount and annual
service to his landlords
• Kasama/sharecropper –sublease of the land takes the task of
cultivating the soil
• How does this affected the religious hacenderos?
• Inquilinos direct interaction with the kasama
• Kasama are exempted from labor obligations to the religious estates
• Downside: deducing share of income to the sharecroppers
• A contest of the Spanish religious hacenderos, the
inquilinos and the sharecroppers
• Instigating factor for the 1896 revolution
 HACIENDA DE CALAMBA
CONFLICT
• 1759 Don Manuel Jauregui donated the lands to the Jesuits on the condition
that he would be allowed to live in the monastery
• Spanish friars claim ownership of the land for 8 years but were expelled
through a decree issued by King Charles III on February 27, 1767
• Pulled out by the government and put under the governance of the Office of
the JesuitTeporaries
• 1803- gov’t sold the property to a Spanish layman Don Clemente de azansa
for 44, 507 pesos
• After he died, it was purchased by the Dominicans for 52,000 pesos
• Rizal’s family became one of the principal inquilinos
 • Rizal’s family rented about 380 hectares
• Sugar was a main commodity, great demand in the world market
• 1883 Paciano wrote that the friars were collecting rents without the
usual receipts
• 2 yrs later tenants failed to pay rent, resulting to Dominicans
declaring the lands vacant and invited residents of other towns to
take over tenancies
• Mariano Herboso-brother in law of Rizal complained about the yearly
increase in rentals, faulty irrigation systems
, failure to issue receipts
• 1887-, the colonial government demanded from the tenants of hacienda a
report on the income and production
• Tenants complied and submitted a report with a petition authored by Jose
Rizal
• Complaints: Increasing rent and withhold rents
• 1891- friars began to evict who refused to pay rent
• Others were expelled
• Exiled to remote areas in the country; Rizal’s parents, brothers and sisters
• Rizal tried to appeal for the reversal of the decision of the Ph courts which
could only be lifted upon the decree by a new governor-general