Republic Act No.

1425

Republic Act No. 1425, popularly known as the Rizal Law, directs all public and private
schools, colleges, and universities to include in their curricula courses or subjects on the life,
works, and writings of Dr. Jose Rizal, particularly the novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo. The Board of National Education is given the mandate to carry out and
enforce the Rizal Law. It was approved on 12 June 1956.

Senate bill 438 known as Rizal Bill which was first authored by Senator Claro M. Recto -
requiring the inclusion in the curricula of all private and public schools, colleges and
universities the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo - is considered as one of the most controversial bills in the Philippines.
Normally, before the bill was approved and implemented in all schools and was signed into a
law known as Republic Act 1425, it had been brought to the Upper and Lower House of the
Congress for deliberations. But what made it controversial is that the bill was not just fiercely
opposed by people from Legislative Arm but also by the Catholic Church due to the inclusion
of compulsory reading of Rizal's novels in which according to them, catholic dogmas are
humiliated.

Senator Recto brought the bill to the Senate and Senator Jose B. Laurel Sr. who was then the
Chairman of the Committee on Education sponsored the bill that consequently led to
exchange of arguments from the Congress. The bill was headedly opposed by three senators
namely Senator Francisco Rodrigo who was a former Catholic Action President, Senator
Mariano Cuenco and Senator Decoroso Rosales who was the brother of Julio Rosales, an
archbishop. Other oppositors were from Lower House namely Congressmen Ramon Durano,
Marciano Lim, Jose Nuguid, Manuel Soza, Godofredo Ramos, Miguel Cuenco, Lucas
Paredes, Congressmen Carmen Consing and Tecia San Andres Ziga. The Catholic Church
was indirectly included in the debates and played a major role for the intervention of signing
of the bill into a law. Allied with the church in battle against Rizal Bill were the Holy Name
Society of the Philippines, Catholic Action of the Philippines, Legion of Mary, Knights of
Columbus and Daughters of Isabela.

Oppositions argued that the bill would go against freedom of conscience and religion, The
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) submitted a pastoral letter to which
according, Rizal violated Canon Law 1399 which forbids or bans books that attack or ridicule
the catholic doctrine and practices. Oppositors argued that among the 333 pages of Noli Me
Tangere, only 25 passages are nationalistic while 120 passages are anti-catholic. While upon
scrutiny of thetwo novels by some members of catholic hierarchial, 170 passages in Noli Me
Tangere and 50 in El Filibusterismo are against catholic fatih. Furthermore, oppositors
pointed out that Rizal admitted that he did not only attack the friars who acted deceptively on
the Filipinos but also the catholic faith itself. They suggested a reading material for students
as to what they called Rizalian Anthology, a collection of Rizal's literary works that contain
the patriotic philosophy excluding the two novels.
Of course, Recto and Laurel defended the bill and argued that the only objective of the bill is
to keep the memory of the national hero alive in every Filipino's mind, to emanate Rizal as he
peacefully fought for freedom, and not to go against religion. Senators Lorenso Tanada,
Quintin Paredes and Domocao Alonto of Mindanao also defended Rizal Bill which was also
favored by Representatives from the House namely Congressmen Jacobo Gonzales, Emilio
Cortez, Mario Bengson, Joaquin Roxas, Lancap Lagumbay and Pedro Lopez. Other
supporters of the bill were Mayor Arsenio Lacson call anti-rizal bill "bigoted and intolerant"
and walked out of a mass when the priest read a pastoral letter from the Archbishop
denouncing the Rizal Bill aqnd General Emilio Aguinaldo with groups like the Knights of
Rizal, Women Writers of the Verrnacular, Philippine Veterans Legion, Colleger Editors'
Guild and Philippine School Teachers' Association.

Excitement and intense scnenes were eventually arisen in settling the Rizal Bill. One of
which was the debate of Cebu Representative Ramon Durano and Pampanga Representative
Emilio Cortes that ended with a fistfight in Congress. Bacolod City Bishop Manuel Yap
threatened to campaign against pro-rizal bill legislators nad to punish them in future
elections. Catholic Schools Representatives threatened to close down their schools if the
Rizal Bill was passed. Recto told them that if they did, the State could nationalize the catholic
schools. When there was a proposal to use the expurgated novels as textbooks and put the
original copies under lock and key in the school libraries, Recto rejected this amendment and
expressed:

"The people who would eliminate the books of Rizal from the schools...would bot out from
our minds the memory of the national hero...this is not a fight against Recto but a fight
against Rizal...now that Rizal is dead and they can no longer attempt at his life, they are
attempting to blot out his memory."

Due to apparently never-ending debate on the Rizal Bill, approved amendments were
formulated through ideas of three senators. Senator Laurel' created an amendment to the
original bill in which, other that Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, works written by
Rizal and works wriiten by others about Rizal would be included and reading of the
unexpurgated revision of the two novels would no longer be compulsory to elementary and
secondary levels but would be strictly observed to college level. Senator Lim suggested the
exemption to those students who feel that reading Rizal's novels would negatively affect his
or her faith. Senator Primicias created an additional amendment that promulgates the rules
and regulations in getting an exemption only from reading the two novels through written
statement or affidavit and not from taking the Rizal Course. According to historian Ambeth
Ocampo, no student has ever availed of this exemption. After the revised amendments, the
bill was finally passed on May 17, 1956 and was signed into law as Republic Act 1425 by
President Ramon Magsaysay on June 12 of the same year.
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

WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our history, there is a need for a re-
dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died;

WHEREAS, it is meet that in honoring 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 writing of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels 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 and decisive years in school, should
be suffused;

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

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 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.

The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed to adopt forthwith
measures to implement and carry out the provisions of this Section, including the writing and
printing of appropriate primers, readers and textbooks. The Board shall, within sixty (60)
days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate rules and regulations, including those of a
disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the provisions of this Act. The Board shall
promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students for reasons of
religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, from the requirement of the provision
contained in the second part of the first paragraph of this section; but not from taking the
course provided for in the first part of said paragraph. Said rules and regulations shall take
effect thirty (30) days after their publication in the Official Gazette.

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.
The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of the number of books,
depending upon the enrollment of the school, college or university.

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