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GEC 9: LIFE, WORKS AND WRITINGS

OF RIZAL
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GEC 9: LIFE, WORKS AND WRITINGS OF

RIZAL

Authors:
Joesphin C. Liban
Ruth P. Aguilar
Dante Timothy J. Soriano
Emma J. Respicio
Marion Caraui
Antonette D. Timbreza
Jennyfer F. Mendoza
Dominador Gamilo
Ma. Paz Consuelo C. Dammay
Jessa Marie L. Alvarez
Kenneth A. Abalos

SY 2020-2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE ………………………………………………………………………………… 8
Chapter 1- Introduction to the course: Republic Act of 1425 ………..……………9-15
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Chapter 2- 19th century Philippines as Rizal's context................................…...16-24

Chapter 3- Rizal's Life: Family, Childhood and Early Education………..……….25-40
Chapter 4- Rizal's Life: Higher Education and Life Abroad………………..…..…41-74
Chapter 5- Rizal's Life: Exile, Trial, and Death………………………………..…...75-88
Chapter 6- Annotation of Antonio Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas…....…89-93
Chapter 7- Noli Me Tangere……………………………………………………….. 94-109
Chapter 8- El Filibusterismo……………………………………..……………….. 110-153
Chapter 9- The Philippines: A Century Hence …………………………………..154-179
Chapter 10: Jose Rizal and Philippine Nationalism-Bayani and Kabayanihan.........180-185
Chapter 11- Jose Rizal and Philippine Nationalism- National Symbol………...……186-202

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A PRELIM EXAM IN GEC 9 ………………………….………….204-206

APPENDIX B MIDTERM EXAM IN GEC 9 …………………….……………207-215

APPENDIX C FINAL EXAM IN GEC 9 ……………….……………………...216-217

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PREFACE

This module covers the life and works of the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal
among the topics covered are Rizal’s biography and his writings, particularly the novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, some of his essays and various correspondence.

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

1. Discuss Jose Rizal’s life within the context of 19th century Philippines.
2. Analyze Rizal’s various works, particularly the novels Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo.
3. Organize the idea into various themes.
4. Demonstrate a critical reading of primary sources.
5. Interpret the values that can be derived from studying Rizal’s life and works.
6. Display an appreciation for education and love of country.
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GEC 9-LIFE, WORKS AND WRITINGS OF RIZAL

LEARNING MODULE I

1. TITLE OF THE MODULE- CHAPTER 1: THE STUDY OF RIZAL COURSE AND

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425

2. INTRODUCTION

The study of Life, Works, and Writing of Rizal has been mandated by Republic act no. 1425
known as Rizal Law. It 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”

The law itself had been criticized by many friars because of the issues concerning their
image. According to Claro M. Recto, it was his belief that the readings of Rizal’s novels would
strengthen the Filipinism of the youth and foster patriotism. Also, Senator Laurel one of the
supporters of the bill mentioned that the object of the measure was to disseminate the ideas and
ideals of the great Filipino patriot through the reading of his works, particularly “Noli Me Tangere”
and “El Filibusterismo”

3. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Explain the rationale of Rizal law and its important provisions

• Critically assess the effectiveness of the Rizal Law
• Compare and contrast the sides of the Authors and Oppositions in R.A 1425
• Discuss the historical context of Rizal Law
• Relate the passage of Rizal law to nation building, patriotism, and nationalism

4. LEARNING CONTENT

Among the many illustrious Filipinos who have distinguished themselves for service to their
country, the first place of honor belongs, by universal consent, to Dr. José Rizal. He devoted
himself to “dispelling the ignorance of his people, raising their moral standards, and combating the
injustices and inequality under which they labored.
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Republic Act No. 1425

June 12, 1956
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.
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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

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956.

The most valuable of Rizal’s ideas are contained in his two novels. But since there is a
widespread impression that these novels are looked upon with disfavor by the Catholic Church as
attacking the Catholic faith, we want to give our views. The Catholic Church in itself is never
against the legitimate political and social aspirations of any people. Hence it follows that the clear
and even forceful expression of such aspirations can never be injurious to the Catholic Church.

The authors argued that the sole objective of the bill or the Rizal law to foster the better
appreciation of Rizal’s times and of the role he played in combating Spanish tyranny in this
country. Denying that novels had any religious motivation. Rizal himself asserted that it was not
the church itself but the abuses he was attacking as may be seen from his letter to a friend,
Resurrección Hidalgo:

“I have unmasked the hypocrisy of those who under the cloak of religion have come amongst us to
impoverish and brutalize us. I have distinguished the true religion from the false, from superstitious
religion, from the religion that traffics with the Gospel to extract money, to make us believe in
nonsense at which the Catholic Church would blush, if it ever came to her knowledge.” (Retana
1907, 125–26)

Let us then heed the warning of Rizal and not confound the abuses of religion with religion itself.
There were scandals in the church in Rizal’s time. Why should we deny it? There were unfaithful
priests, like the Apostles Peter and Judas. But that fact does not make Catholic doctrine untrue.
However, we must not exaggerate the evil. As to the fact of these evils, the Church awaits the
sober judgment of history. But the history of that period is only imperfectly known and thus people
take fictional narratives like Rizal’s novels as history. Especially with the young, we foresee in the
indiscriminate and undirected reading of the novels a danger, since the young are “too apt to take
as literally true whatever they see in print. Moreover, they cannot be expected to make the
necessary distinctions between what the persons in a novel say in conformity with their characters
and what the author of the novel says on his own account, between what is said ironically and
what is seriously stated; between the condemnation of the individual and the condemnation of the
society or organization to which that individual belongs.

Hence we judge that Rizal’s novels not only can but should by all means be made familiar to our
students; the editions of them which are assigned as reading matter should be accurate
translations of the Spanish text, should be properly annotated by a competent scholar familiar with
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the ecclesiastical and civil history of Rizal’s period, and should, ordinarily, be commented on and
explained by the teacher in charge.

In conclusion we say, first, that we find nothing in [these novels] that constitutes a serious danger
to the faith or morals of the mature well instructed Catholic, but much in conformity with the
teachings of the Gospel and right reason. Secondly, prudence demands that they should not be
given as reading matter to the young without proper direction and guidance in the form of
annotations to the printed text and explanations by the living teacher. If this prescription of
prudence is complied with the salutary political and social ideas of our national hero will strike
deep roots in the minds and hearts of our people.