RA 1425 (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.

Context

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. 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
Left: Jose P. Laurel; Right: Claro M. Recto
edu cation. 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."

On April 17, 1956, Senator Jose P. Laurel, who was then the Chairman of the Committee on
Education, sponsored this bill in the senate and presented it to the upper house. 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.

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 Senate
Bill No. 438. Both proposed bills were criticized and considered unconstitutional by the Church.

The Church argued that if these bills 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 to the proposed bills:

1. Among the 333 pages of Noli Me Tangere, only 25 passages are nationalistic while 120
passages are anti-Catholic.
 2. 170 lines from Noli Me Tangere and 50 lines in El Filibusterismo were offensive to the
Catholic doctrine.

3. The bill might divide the nation.

4. Compulsion to read something against one’s faith impairs freedom of speech and
religious freedom.

The Enactment of “Rizal Law"

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:

1. 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."

2. 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.)

3. The unexpurgated version of "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" could only be
studied at the college level. (Note: “Unexpurgated version," refers to the original version of
the text that has not been edited, censored, removed, or altered in any way. The original
meaning is retained.)

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. 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.

References

•Laurel, Jose. “The Trials of the Rizal Bill.” Historical Bulletin 4, no. 2 (1960).

• Limos, Mario Alvaro. “Why Did the Catholic Church Staunchly Oppose the Rizal Law?” Esquire
Philippines, 2020. https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/rizal-law-and-the-catholic-
church-a00293-20200929.

• Nery, Imelda, and Paul John Sion. The Life and Works of Jose Rizal. 1st ed. JTCA Publishing, 2019.

• Ocampo, Ambeth. “The Fight over the Rizal Law.” Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2007.

• Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. “Republic Act No. 1425 | GOVPH,” June 12,
1956. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1956/06/12/republic-act-no-1425/.