01 - Rizal Law

What is Rizal Law?

The Rizal Law, or Republic Act 1425, is a government-mandated law that requires all colleges and
universities in the Philippines to include courses on the life and works of Dr. Jose Rizal, the
Philippines' national hero, in their curriculums.

These courses also emphasize the study of Rizal's two most famous novels, "Noli Me Tangere" and
"El Filibusterismo," which are considered seminal works in Philippine literature. This law aims to
promote national consciousness and love for country among Filipinos by studying the life and works
of Rizal.

Why Study Rizal: From The Perspective of Lawmakers

Now, you may be wondering why it is mandatory to study the life and works of Jose Rizal. To
understand the reasoning behind this, let's hear from the people who created the Rizal Law, or
Republic Act 1425, and learn their perspective on the importance of educating students about the
national hero.

In 1956, during Ramon Magsaysay's presidency, a decade had passed since the end of World War II.
At this time, many nationalist policy makers noticed that the sense of Filipino identity seemed to be
fading among the people. They believed that many Filipinos had lost interest in their country or had
become disconnected from it. To address this, the lawmakers felt it was important to focus on
rebuilding a strong national identity and moving forward as a united people.

One of the solutions proposed by these policy makers to enhance the national pride and hope of
Filipinos was through education. In their view, by providing the youth with a comprehensive education
that included learning about their country's history, they would become knowledgeable and proud
Filipinos. This would foster a strong sense of national identity, which in turn would lead to a stronger
and more united Philippines.

On April 3, 1956, Senator Claro M. Recto submitted a bill to the Senate Committee on Education,
which proposed that Jose Rizal's two most famous novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, be
made mandatory reading for all Filipino students in college. The bill was officially known as Senate Bill
No. 438 or "An Act to Make Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo Compulsory Reading Matter in All
Public and Private Colleges and Universities, and for Other Purposes." For easier understanding, we
will call it the Noli-Fili Bill.

According to Laurel, the main purpose of the bill is to disseminate the ideas and ideals of Jose Rizal
through the reading of his novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
He stated, "Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo must be read by all Filipinos. They must be taken to
heart, for in their pages we see ourselves as a mirror, our defects as well as our strength, our virtues
as well as our vices. Only then would we become conscious as a people, and so learn to prepare
ourselves for painful sacrifices that ultimately lead to self-reliance, self-respect and freedom."

The Catholic Church's Opposition to the Noli-Fili Bill

The Noli-Fili bill, like the Reproductive Health Bill, faced opposition and controversy from the Catholic
Church and conservative groups. They opposed the bill because it required the reading of Jose Rizal's
novels, "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo," which contain criticisms of the actions of the
Catholic Church during Rizal's time.

The Church argued that if the bill were to pass, it would damage the reputation of the religion.
According to Fr. Jesus Cavanna, the novels were written a long time ago and teaching them today
could be harmful as it may give students incorrect ideas about the current state of the Philippines.

Here are some additional criticisms of the Catholic Church regarding the Noli-Fili Bill:

Among the 333 pages of Noli Me Tangere, only 25 passages are nationalistic while 120 passages
are anti-Catholic.
170 lines from Noli Me Tangere and 50 lines in El Filibusterismo were offensive to the Catholic
doctrine.
The bill might divide the nation.
Compulsion to read something against one’s faith impairs freedom of speech and religious
freedom.
Rizal admitted that he did not only attack the friars who acted deceptively on the Filipinos but also
the Catholic faith itself.

The Noli-Fili bill sparked a highly controversial debate. Catholic groups organized to oppose the bill
and Senator Claro M. Recto was accused of being a communist. The situation became so tense that
some Catholic schools threatened to close if the bill were to pass. On April 19, 1956, another bill,
House Bill No. 5561, was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Jacobo Z.
Gonzales. This bill was almost identical to the Noli-Fili Bill, and it also faced the same faith, as it was
also criticized and considered unconstitutional by the Church.

The Enactment of “Rizal Law"

So what happened to the Noli-Fili bill? If the Catholic Church opposed it, why are Rizal's works being
taught in schools now?

Well, Senator Jose P. Laurel proposed a substitute bill that addressed the concerns of the Church.
Here are the few tweaks that were made to appease the opposition:

The new substitute bill now included a wider range of works and writings by Jose Rizal, instead of
only "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo."
Students who did not want to read the novels were given the option to ask for an exemption.
(Note: As of now, there is no record of any student requesting an exemption, or if such a practice
was even implemented.)
The unexpurgated version of "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" could only be studied at
the college level.

When we say "unexpurgated version," we refer to the original version of the text that has not been
edited, censored, removed, or altered in any way. The original meaning is retained.

You may be wondering why reading "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" is considered
controversial. You might say that you read it when you were in junior high school and it wasn't that
bad. Well, maybe the reason for your perspective is that you read the expurgated versions, which
have been censored. In that case, the true intention of the text may have been lost.

As Senator Laurel said, if we do not read the original, unedited, and uncensored "Noli Me Tangere"
and "El Filibusterismo," the purpose of the law will be lost.

On May 12th and 14th, 1956, despite strong opposition from the Church and other groups, Senate Bill
No. 438 and House Bill No. 5561 were both approved on second reading and in the Lower House.

Then, on June 12th, 1956, on Flag Day, President Ramon Magsaysay signed the law, which is now
known as Republic Act 1425 or the Rizal Law.

The full name of the law 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."

Elements of the Rizal Law

According to Laurel, the purpose of enacting the Rizal Law is to educate the young generation of the
Philippines about the ideals and principles for which Rizal sacrificed his life.

He believed, "By reading and studying Rizal's life, teachings, and writings, the youth will gain
confidence, direction, courage and determination to contribute to the progress of our nation."

Here are the different sections of Rizal Law:

The first section of the law concerns mandating the students to read Rizal’s novels.
The second section of the law require the schools to have a sufficient number of copies of
unexpurgated edition of the novels in their libraries.
 The third section of the law aims to make Rizal's writings more readily available to the general
public by promoting their printing at an affordable cost, or in some cases, providing them for free.
The fourth section of the law clarifies it will not change a specific section of the Administrative
Code that prohibits public school teachers from discussing religious doctrines.
The fifth section of the law authorizes the unallocated funds to be used to implement the act.
The last section of the law states that the act will immediately take effect.

The goal of Rizal Law can usually be summarized in three points:

To rededicate the lives of youth to the ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which our heroes
lived and died.
To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the Filipino character.
To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of Rizal’s life, works, and writings.

But Really… Should We Study Rizal?

The intention of the Rizal Law is, without a doubt, good. However, I will play devil's advocate here. All
of what you read is on paper. Let's examine reality.

The Rizal Law was passed in 1956, which is a long time ago. The question remains: have its goals
been met? Or are we even close to meeting them?

The study of Rizal remains a highly debated topic to this day. And currently, the only correct answer to
why we should study Rizal is because it is the law.

"We have a national hero who wrote a lot for a nation that does not read him." - Ambeth Ocampo

Are you a visual learner? Or having trouble understanding this text on your own? If so, you might find
my video and PowerPoint presentations on this topic helpful. They cover the same material as this
post, but presents it in a different way that might be easier for you to understand. Just click the link
below or check my YouTube channel “Over the Academic Wall.”

Check it out here:

01 - Rizal Law (RA 1425) | Life and Works of Rizal

In this video, we will explore the Rizal Law, a Philippine law that mandates the teaching of the life and works of national
https://youtu.be/yDbfQ_ZxRDc

Over the Academic Wall

Kamusta, ako si Humi.
https://www.youtube.com/@overtheacademicwall

(PPT) Life and Works of Rizal - Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OYBSxcXUuhJbqeyD1bgcvh1Y8gUXdCL2?usp=share_link
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OYBSxcXUuhJbqeyD1bgcvh1Y8gUXdCL2?usp=share_link