Republic Act 1425

(Rizal Law)
The Life and Works of Jose Rizal

MARVIN Z. SUNGA
Discussant / Instructor
• Policy-makers made sure that the words of Rizal will be
materialized through state-sponsored education of his life, works,
and writings. All the powers, hopes and dreams of the State were
given to the youth through the Rizal Law.
• The youth, in turn, have the responsibility not just to accept
trivial information on Jose Rizal’s legacies, but more importantly
to suffuse them down to their very core, Indeed, the “Millennials”
are active participants in the process of the nation – building. It is
expected that they would generate new ideas that will affect the
society in the future.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

Discussion: The Birth of the Rizal Law

• Amidst the destruction of building infrastructures, roads, and

bridges brought by World War II, the people saw the need to
rebuild the Filipino identity which was equally affected by the war.
• Nationalist policy-makers did not waste any time and painstakingly
redirected the nation to the essence of History as a foundation of
national hope and pride.
• Education became the primary weapon of reorientation while
prioritizing the youth as the bearers of country’s future.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

• Much attention was apportioned to the ideals of freedom and
nationalism of Filipino heroes. Jose Rizal was an obvious platform
from a start since his name dominates the pantheon of heroes.
• On April 3, 1956, Senate Bill No. 438 (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) was submitted to the
Senate Committee on Education.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

History & Story
• Senator Claro M. Recto was the main proponent of the Rizal
Bill. He sought to sponsor the bill at Congress. However, this
was met with stiff opposition from the Catholic Church. 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.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

History & Story
• In the campaign to oppose the Rizal bill, the Catholic Church
urged its adherents to write to their congressmen and
senators showing their opposition to the bill; later, it
organized symposiums. In one of these symposiums, Fr. Jesus
Cavanna argued that the novels belonged to the past and
that teaching them would misrepresent current conditions.
Radio commentator Jesus Paredes also said that Catholics
had the right to refuse to read them as it would "endanger
their salvation"

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

History & Story
• Groups such as Catholic Action of the Philippines,
the Congregation of the Mission, the Knights of Columbus, and the
Catholic Teachers Guild organized opposition to the bill; they were
countered by Veteranos de la Revolucion (Spirit of 1896), Alagad
ni Rizal, the Freemasons, and the Knights of Rizal.
• The Senate Committee on Education sponsored a bill co-written
by both José P. Laurel and Recto, with the only opposition coming
from Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Mariano Jesús Cuenco, and Decoroso
Rosales.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

History & Story
• The Archbishop of Manila, Rufino Santos, protested
in a pastoral letter that Catholic students would be
affected if compulsory reading of the unexpurgated
version were pushed through.
• Arsenio Lacson, Manila's mayor, who supported the
bill, walked out of Mass when the priest read a
circular from the archbishop denouncing the bill.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

 History & Story
• The Catholic schools threatened to close down if the
bill was passed; Recto countered that if that happened,
the schools would be nationalized. Recto did not
believe the threat, stating that the schools were too
profitable to be closed. The schools gave up the threat,
but threatened to "punish" legislators in favor of the
law in future elections.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

History & Story
• Senator Jose P. Laurel, the Chairman of the Committee, sponsored
and presented the bill to the members of the Upper House. The
main purpose of the bill according to Senator Laurel was to
disseminate the ideas and ideas of Jose Rizal through the reading
of his works, notably his novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, He stated that:
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 in 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
(Laurel, Jr., 131)

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

History & Story
• Heated exchange continued as part of the democratic
process. Opposition to the bill Senator Francisco “Soc”
Rodrigo stood up and delivered his speech:
A vast majority of our people are at the same time
Catholics and Filipino citizens. As such, they have two great
loves: their country and their faith. These two loves are
conflicting loved. They are harmonious affections, like the love
of a child for his father and for his mother. This is the basis of
my stand. Let us not create a conflict between nationalism and
religion; the government and the church (Laurel, Jr. 132)

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

History & Story
• Vehemently, refuting the arguments of the opposition, Senator
Claro M. Recto exclaimed that the novels have no intentions of
discrediting the Church. More so, he said that the bill only aims to
contextualize Rizal’s heroism in the face of Spanish tyranny. He
then uttered these words:
Rizal did not pretend to teach religion or theology when he
wrote those books. He aimed at inculcating civic consciousness in the
Filipinos, national dignity, personal pride, and patriotism…but while
he criticized and ridiculed the unworthy behaviour of certain
ministers of the church, he made exceptions in favour of the worthy
ones, like the Dominican friar, Padre Fernandez, and the virtuous
native priest, Padre Florentino, and the Jesuits in general (Laurel, Jr.,
132-133).

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

History & Story

• May 12, 1956, Senate Bill No. 438 was

unanimously approved on second reading. The
Lower House imitated the Senate and on May
14, 1956, the bill was approved unanimously in
the House of Representatives.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

History & Story
• The trial of the Rizal Law in Congress (Senate and House of
Representatives) is clearly a triumph of democracy. On one hand, the
role of the opponents should not be overlooked because their
dissenting opinions broadened the scope of democratic processes. On
the other hand, the proponents had perfected their bill because of the
criticism they received. On June 12, 1956, President Ramon Magsayasay
signed the bill to make it a law, thus giving birth to Republic Act 1425
also known as the Rizal Law. Below is a copy of the law:
• 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

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

Republic Act No. 1425
• 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 honouring 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 writings of Jose Rizal, Particularly
Noli Me Tangere and El filibusterismo, are a constant and inspiring
source of patriotism with which the minds of the youth, especially
during their formative years in school, should be suffused;

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

Republic Act No. 1425

• WHEREAS, all educational institutions are under the supervision of,

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,
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the Philippines in Congress assembled:
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 and private: Provided, That in the collegiate course, the
original or unexpurgated editions of the Noli ME Tagere and El
Filibusterismo or their English translation shall be used as basic texts.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

Republic Act No. 1425
• Section 2. It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and
universities to keep in their libraries adequate number of copies of
the original and unexpurgated editions of Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, as well as 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 public or private school, college or university.
• The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of
the number of books, depending upon the enrolment of the
school, college or university.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

Republic Act No. 1425
• 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 caused 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 constructed 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.
The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425
Republic Act No. 1425

• 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 purpose of this Act.
• Section 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 12, 1956

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

Importance
• His peaceful means of reform made him Asia's first modern
nonviolent proponent of political reforms. The Rizal law is an
avenue for the youth to understand Rizal's vision. The law aims
to put Rizal closer to our hearts. Strengthening not only the Rizal
course but the subject of Philippine history is important
• There is a need to further re-strengthen our commitment to the
ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived
and died.

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

Questions
• Do you think R.A. 1425 effectively implemented
today?
• How important is R.A. 1425 to you as a student?

The Life and Works’ of Jose Rizal: Lesson 1 : R.A. 1425

DHVSU – Main Campus

February 3 - 7, 2025

7:30am – 4:30pm

The life and Works of

Jose Rizal

Marvin Z. Sunga
(Discussant)