1. Republic Act 1425:
The Rizal Law
The Making of Rizal Law
Notable Persons Who Tried To Block Its
Approval
Intentions/Reasons of Persons Who Blocked
the Approval of Rizal Bill
Notable Persons Who Fought For Its Approval
Intentions/Reasons of Persons Who Pushed for
the Approval of Rizal Bill
Salient Points of Rizal Law
Teaching of Rizal Course in College
Important Issuances Relative to the
Implementation of Rizal Law
Rizal: A Legislated and Mandated Course
2. The Making of Rizal Law
In 1956, Senator Jose
P. Laurel filed Senate
Bill 448 or the Rizal Bill.
Its passage was rough due
to several persons who
tried to block its approval.
3. Sen. Decoroso Rosales – brother of
Archbishop (Cardinal) Rosales
Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo – President of
Catholic Action of the Philippines
Sen. Mariano Cuenco – brother of
Archbishop Cuenco
Notable Persons Who Tried To
Block Its Approval:
4. Jesus Paredes – radio commentator
Fr. Jesus Cavana – member of the Paulist
Order who wrote a pastoral letter
The Friars
5. Intentions/Reasons of Persons Who
Blocked theApproval of Rizal Bill
The Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
are very damaging to the clerics.
The novels were written when Dr. Jose
Rizal, estranged from Catholic faith and
religion and contradict many of the
Christian beliefs.
6. To compel Catholic students to read a book
which contains passages contradicting their faith
constitutes a violation of a Philippine
constitutional provision (Art. 3, Sec. 1, Par. 7).
The novels do contain teachings contrary to
Catholic faith and so, the Church is opposed to
the proposed compulsory reading in their
entirety of such books in any school in the
Philippines where Catholic students may be
affected.
7. Sen. Jose P. Laurel
Claro M. Recto
Other Illustrious
Nationalists
Notable Persons Who Fought For
Its Approval:
8. Intentions/Reasons of Persons Who
Pushed for theApproval of Rizal Bill
There is a need for a rededication to the ideals
of freedom and nationalism for which our
heroes lived and died.
There is a need to remember with special
fondness and devotion the lives and works of
our heroes who shaped the national character.
9. The life, works and writings of Dr.Jose
Rizal particularly, his novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo are
constant and inspiring source of
patriotism with which the minds of the
youth, especially during their formative
and decisive years in school, should
besuffused.
There is a need to develop moral
character, personal discipline, civic
conscience and to teach the duties of
citizenship.
10. Congress passed the
Rizal Bill (Senate Bill
448) and was signed
into Rizal Law
(Republic Act 1425) by
President Ramon
Magsaysay on June 12,
1956.
11. Salient Points of Rizal Law
Courses on the life, works and writings of
Dr. Jose Rizal, particularly the novels Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be
included in the curricula of all schools,
colleges and universities, public and
private.
It obliged all schools, colleges and
universities to keep in their libraries
adequate number of copies of the original
or unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo as well as
Rizal's other works and biography.
12. It authorized and directed the Board
of National Education to work for the
translation of Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo as well as other
writings of Dr. Jose Rizal into English,
Tagalog and other principal dialects
and their printing in cheap or popular
editions and their circulation.
13. Rizal as a course has been taught in College
generally as a supplementary course by
teachers of different specializations.
In most cases, the focus of the course is on
Rizal's biography and trivial matters,
compounded by the varying interpretations of
the spirit and the letter of Rizal law through
the years.
Teaching of Rizal Course in College
14. Important Issuances Relative to the
Implementation of Rizal Law
Approval of R.A. 1425 on
June 12, 1956
Presidential Memorandum
Order 247 dated Dec. 26,
1994 – President Ramos
directed the DECS and
CHED to immediately and
fully implement R.A. 1425.
15. CHED Memorandum
Order 6 dated February
15, 1996 – CHED ordered
all colleges and
universities to offer Rizal
course as a separate
three-unit course fully
and immediately.
16. Rizal:ALegislated and Mandated
Course
Legislated – it is founded on
Republic Act 1425 (Rizal
Law)
Mandated – it is ordered by
Presidential Memorandum
Order 247 and CHED
Memorandum Order 6.