From the Rizal Bill to the Rizal Law

April 3, 1956 - Senate Bill No. 438 was filed by the Senate Committee on Education.
April 17, 1956 – Senate Committee on Education Chair Jose P. Laurel sponsored
the bill and began delivering speeches for the propose legislation.
April 23, 1956 – debates started.

The debates on the Rizal Bill also ensued in the House of Representatives.
House Bill No. 5561, an identical version of SB 438, was filed by Representative
Jacobo Z. Gonzales on April 19, 1956. The House Committee on Education
approved the Bill without amendments on May 2, 1956 and the debates commenced
on May 9, 1956. A major point of the debates was whether the compulsory reading of
the texts Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo appropriated in the bill was
constitutional. The call to read the unexpurgated versions was also challenged.

May 9, 1956 – Senator Jose P. Laurel proposed amendments to the bill.

May 14, 1956 – similar amendments were adopted to the House version.
Bureau of Printing – were asked to use the same templates for the Senate version
in printing the House version. Thus, on May 17, 1956, the Senate and House
versions were approved.

The approved versions were then transmitted to Malacañan and on June 12,
1956, President Magsaysay signed the bill into law which became Republic Act No.
1425.

CLARO M. RECTO (February 8, 1890 – October 2, 1960) - was the main sponsor
and defender of the Rizal Bill.