RIZAL LAW

• Republic Act 1425 known as Rizal Law, mandates all educational institutions in the Philippines to offer courses about Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

  The measure was strongly opposed by the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines due to the anti-clerical themes in Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo.
• Senator Claro M. Recto - HE WAS THE MAIN PROPONENT OF RIZAL BILL. HE WAS CHARGED AS COMMUNIST AND ANTI-CATHOLIC BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

  After his 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.
• This document (Rizal Bill) was written in the year of 1956 during Magsaysay’s regime when the country was still recovering from Japanese occupation and was very dependent on the US government.
• There is a need for a re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism.
• Nationalism served as the foundation to come up with this republic act to set our country free from the hands of others and stand up on our own- exactly the ideals and values that Rizal strove.
• Rizal is honored in the Philippines as the Philippine national hero, it is appropriate that the document written to commemorate his accomplishments is written here, in the land of his birth.
• The debate during the enactment of the Rizal Law has been compared to the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (RH Law) debate in 2011.
• Akbayan representative Kaka Bag-ao quotes the Catholic hierarchy, that “ More than 50 years ago, they said Rizal Law violates the Catholic’s right to conscience and religion, interestingly, the line of reasoning they use to oppose the RH Bill.
• Congregation who opposed the bill:

  • Congregation of the Mission
  • Knights of the Columbus
  • Catholic Teachers Guild
• Congregation who supported the bill:

  • Veteranos de la Revolucion
  • Alagad ni Rizal
  • The Freemasons
  • 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.

  On May 12, 1956, a compromise inserted by Committee on Education chairman Laurel that accommodated the objections of the Catholic Church was approved unanimously.
• The bill specified that only college students would have the option of reading unexpurgated versions of clerically-contested reading material, such as Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo.
• Rizal Bil was enacted on June 12, 1956, Flag Day or Independence Day.
• In 1994, President Fidel V. Ramos ordered the Department of Education, Culture and Sports to fully implement the law as there had been reports that it has still not been fully implemented.
• OTHER RELATED LAWS AND MEMOS:

  • RA 229 - AN ACT TO PROHIBIT COCKFIGHTING, HORSE RACING, AND JAI-ALAI ON THE THIRTIETH DAY OF DECEMBER OF EACH YEAR AND TO CREATE A COMMITTEE TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE PROPER CELEBRATION OF RIZAL DAY IN EVERY MUNICIPALITY AND CHARTERED CITY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
• OTHER RELATED LAWS AND MEMOS:

  • Memorandum Order No. 247 - DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORTS AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO FULLY IMPLEMENT REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425 ENTITLED "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."
• OTHER RELATED LAWS AND MEMOS:

  • CHED Memorandum No. 3, s. 1995 - implementation of Republic Act No. 1425