Lesson 1: Rizal Law

What Exactly is Rizal Law?

Rizal Law or RA 1425 is a Philippine law that requires all schools in the Philippines, both public
and private, to offer courses on the life, works, and writings of the Philippine national hero, Dr.
Jose Rizal.\
Why study him?
Why Study Rizal: From The Perspective of Lawmakers
Many Filipinos observed that the sense of Filipino identity was waning.
In response, nationalist policymakers took action to redirect the nation back to its roots by
emphasizing the importance of history as a foundation for national hope and pride.
On April 3, 1956, Senator Claro M. Recto proposed Senate Bill No. 438 and submitted it to the
Senate Committee on Education
“NOLI-FILI BILL”
Senate Bill No. 438, titled "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.”
On April 17, 1956, Senator Jose P. Laurel, Sr., who was then the Chairman of the Committee on
Education, sponsored the Noli-Fili Bill in the senate and presented it to the Upper House.
“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
Since Jose Rizal criticized the Catholic Church, the Noli-Fili bill was met with stiff opposition from
the latter’s head and supporters.
According to them, the bill was an attempt to discredit the Catholic religion.
Father Jesus Cavanna argued that Jose Rizal’ novels from the past should not be taught in
schools because they do not accurately depict current conditions and may give a false
impression of the country.
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.
At that time, Noli-Fili Bill was widely controversial.
These catholic groups organized opposition to the bill:

• Catholic Action of the Philippines

• Congregation of the Mission
• Knights of Columbus
• Catholic Teachers Guild
The church charged Recto with being a communist and an anti-Catholic.
It even comes to the point where Catholic Schools threaten to close down their schools if the bill
was passed.
On April 19, 1956, Congressman Jacobo Z. Gonzales filed a similar bill called House Bill No.
5561 to the House of Representatives.
Unfortunately, akin to Noli-Fili Bill, House Bill No. 5561 had also been opposed contending its
constitutionality and religiosity.
The Enactment of “Rizal Law"
Senator Laurel proposed a substitute bill with a few tweaks to appease the opposition.
1. Instead of only Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, the new substitute bill now includes
a wider range of works and writings by Jose Rizal.
2. Reading is now optional. If a student does not want to read the two novels, they can
request for an exemption.
3. The implementation of reading unexpurgated versions of Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo will only be for college or university students.
unexpurgated - not censored or edited to remove offensive or objectionable content.
expurgated - to remove or censor offensive or objectionable content, especially from a
text.
It’s important to read the original and unexpurgated edition of Rizal’s novels because the true
purpose of studying these will be defeated if not followed.
On May 12, 1956 and May 14, 1956, Senate Bill No. 438 and House Bill No. 5561 were both
unanimously approved on the second reading and in the Lower House.
On June 12, 1956, the bill was signed into law by President Ramon Magsaysay, giving birth to
Republic Act 1425 or the Rizal Law.
“Rizal Law”
“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
 • The rationale for passing the Rizal Law is that there is a concern that the Filipino identity
is waning.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 goals of the Rizal Law can be summarized in the following three points:
1. To rededicate the lives of youth to the ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which our
heroes lived and died.
2. To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the Filipino
character.
3. To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the study of Rizal’s life, works, and
writings.
Should we still study him?
"We have a national hero who wrote a lot for a nation that does not read him." - Ambeth Ocampo