Introduction
The Philippines is a republic with a
presidential form of government in which
power is divided equally among its three
branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
1. Executive branch: they execute and
enforce laws. The president oversees
all executive departments, bureaus,
and offices.
2. Legislative branch: the authority to
make, amend, and repeal laws. It is
made up of the Senate, also known as
the upper house, and the House of
Representatives, also known as the
lower house.
3. Judiciary branch: evaluates and
interprets the meaning of laws, applies
laws to individual cases, and
determines whether laws violate the
Constitution. The Supreme Court and
the lower courts have judicial power.
Step 1
→ The bill is filed in the Senate Office of the
Secretary. It is given a number and
scheduled for first reading.
Step 2
→ First Reading
→ The bill’s title, number, and author(s) are
read on the floor. Afterwards, it is
referred to the appropriate committee.
Step 3
→ Committee Hearings
→ The bill is discussed within the
committee, and a period of consultation
is held. The committee can approve it
without revisions, approve it with
amendments, recommend substitution
and consolidation with a similar bill, or
reject it. Afterwards, the bill is scheduled
for second reading.
Step 4
→ Second Reading
→ The bill is read and discussed on the
floor. Author delivers a sponsorship
speech. The other members of the
senate may engage in discussions
regarding the bill, and a period of debate
will ensue. Amendments may be
suggested to the bill.
Step 5
→ The Senators vote on whether to
approve or reject the bill. If approved, the
bill is scheduled for third reading.
Step 6
→ Voting on the Third Reading
→ Copies of the final versions of the bill are
distributed to the members of the
Senate who will vote for its approval or
rejection.
Step 7
→ Consolidation of the House Version
→ The same previous steps are followed by
the House of Representatives in coming
up with the approved bill. If there are
differences between the Senate and the
House versions, a bicameral conference
committee is called to reconcile the two.
Then, both chambers approve the
consolidated versions.
Step 8
→ Transmittal of the International Version
to the Malacanang.
→ The bill is submitted to the president for
signing. The president can either sign
the bill into law or veto it and return it to
Congress.
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 RIZAL, PARTICULARLY HIS NOVELS
NOLI ME TANGERE AND EL
FILIBUSTERISMO, AUTHORIZING THE
PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION THEREOF,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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,
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 Introduction
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.
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.
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
Published: Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p.
2971 in June 1956.
Memorandum No. 247
→ Former President Fidel V. Ramis directed
the Secretary of Education, Center and
Sports, and the Chairman of the
Commission on Higher Education in
1994, through Memorandum Order No.
27, to fully implement the RA 1425, as
there had been reports that the law had
still not been fully implemented. In
1995, CHEM Memorandum No. 3 was
issued, enforcing strict compliance with
Memorandum Order No. 247.
RA No. 229
→ an act that prohibits cockfighting, horse
racing, and jai-alai on December 30th of
each year and establishes a committee
to oversee the proper celebration of
Rizal Day in each municipality and
chartered city, among other things.
The Importance of Studying Rizal:
1) The Subject provides insights on how
to deal with current problem.
2) It helps us better understand
ourselves as Filipino.
3) It teaches Nationalism and
Patriotism.
4) It provides various essential life
lessons.
5) It helps in developing logical and
critical thinking.
6) Rizal can serve as worthwhile model
and inspiration to every Filipinos.
7) The subject is a rich source of
entertaining narratives.
The mandatory Rizal subject in the
Philippines was the upshot of this bill which
later became a law in 1956. The bill involves
mandating educational institutions in the
country to offer a course on the hero's life,
works, and writings, especially the 'Noli Me
Tangere' and 'El Filibusterismo'.
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 Introduction
Senator Claro M. Recto
→ introduced Senate Bill 438, requiring the
inclusion of Jose Rizal's life, works, and
writings in the curricula of all private and
public schools, colleges, and
universities, particularly his novels Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
→ He was even labeled a communist and
an anti-Catholic during the passage of
the bill, but Recto calmly countered the
threat, claiming that if that happened,
the school would be nationalized.
Numerous threats were made against
him, but he remained unfazed.
Senator Jose B. Laurel
→ Sponsored the passing of Rizal Bill into
Law.
Opponents:
o Senator Fancisco Rodrigo
o Senator Mariano Cuenco
o Senator Decoroso Rosales
 Opponents argued that the bill violated
freedom of conscience and religion.
 The Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) submitted a pastoral
letter claiming that Rizal violated Canon
Law 1399
Canon Law 1399
→ forbids or prohibits books that attack or
ridicule Catholic doctrine and practices.
 Opponents claimed that only 25
passages in Noli Me Tangere's 333 pages
are nationalistic, while 120 are anti-
Catholic.
 According to some members of the
Catholic hierarchical, 170 passages in
Noli Me Tangere and 50 passages in El
Filibusterismo are anti-Catholic faith.
Rizalian Anthology
→ a collection of Rizal's literary works that
contain patriotic philosophy but do not
include the two novels.
Because of the seemingly never-
ending debate over the Rizal Bill, approved
amendments were crafted from the ideas of
three senators.
a) Senator Laurel' proposed an
amendment to the original bill in
which, in addition to Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo, works written
by Rizal and works written by others
about Rizal would be included, and
reading of the unexpurgated revisions
of the two novels would no longer be
compulsory at the elementary and
secondary levels, but strictly enforced
at the college level.
b) Senator Lim proposed an exemption
for students who believe that reading
Rizal's novels will jeopardize their
faith.
c) Senator Primacies added an
amendment that establishes the rules
and regulations for obtaining an
exemption only from reading the two
novels via written statement or
affidavit, rather than from taking the
Rizal Course.
Ambeth Ocampo
→ a historian
→ according to him, no student has ever
used this exemption.
May 17, 1956
→ the Rizal bill was finally passed.
June 12, 1956
→ President Ramon Magsaysay signed it
into law as Republic Act 1425.
A La Juventud Filipina.
→ This poem won the grand prize in the
contest wherein Rizal received a silver
quill for sharing his talent in poetry.
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 Introduction

→ It was considered a great work in Makamisa

Philippine literature for the following → Rizal’s third novel which was left
reasons: one, the Spanish authorities unfinished.
noticed that it was the first best poem in → Rizal began his third novel in Tagalog but
Spanish written by a Filipino; and two, it then switched to Spanish. In choosing to
showed that the Filipinos were the fair write in Tagalog, Rizal could not
hope of the motherland—a nationalistic reconcile the difficulties of 'internal
concept that portrayed Rizal’s love for translation' of rendering European
the country. thoughts in Tagalog. In representing the
nation, language, artistry, and form are
THE FAIR HOPE OF THE MOTHERLAND problems that continue to challenge.
→ “La Bella Esperanza de la Patria Mia”
→ Rizal pointed out in his poem the role of
the youth in nation-building.
→ He challenges the youth of his day to
practice three things: to enhance their
talents in the arts; to develop their
knowledge of the sciences; and to not be
afraid of the future and remove the chain
of bondage.

El Consejo de los Dios

→ “The Council of the Gods”
→ uncovered some relative aspects
covering the social components of the
western humanistic viewpoint, (that
human beings have the right, capacity,
and responsibility to give meaning and
shape to their own lives) into a literary
context, and in view of the Philippine
culture.
→ It is one of Jose Rizal's entries in the
1880 literary competition, was awarded
first place to him.
→ The poem was recognized as the
competition's top submission that year.
However, because the jury was aware
that the author was a Filipino, they chose
to award the top prize to a Spaniard.
→ Despite not winning the top prize, Rizal
had demonstrated that Filipinos can
compete fairly with other races despite
the superiority of the Spaniards.

A FILIPINAS
→ In February 1880, Rizal wrote a sonnet
dedicated to the Philippines that aimed
at encouraging Filipino artists to thank
the country through their art works.
→ This is the most passionate poem about
the Philippines written by Rizal.

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