Background and Content of Republic Act No. 1425, S.
Intentions/Reasons of persons who pushed for the
1956
Republic Act No. 1425 known as the Rizal Law mandates all
education institution in the Philippines to offer courses about
Jose Rizal.
The measure was strongly opposed by the Roman Catholic
Church in the Philippines due to the anti-clerical themes in
Noli Me Tanger and El Filibusterismo.
Controversial Issues Surrounding the Rizal law
The Church continued to oppose the bill mandating the
reading of Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, claiming it would violate freedom of
conscience and religion.
Notable persons who tried to block its approval:
 Sen. Decoroso Rosales (brother of Archbishop
(Cardinal) Rosales)
 Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo (President of
Catholic Action of the Philippines)
 Sen. Mariano Cuenco (brother of Archbishop
Cuenco) - Rizal, according to Cuenco, “attack[ed]
dogmas, beliefs and practices of the Church. The
assertion that Rizal limited himself to castigating
underserving priests and refrained from criticizing,
ridiculing in doubt dogmas of the Catholic Church, is
absolutely gratuitous and misleading.”
 Archbishop Rufino Santos - protested in a pastoral
letter that Catholic students would be affected
compulsory reading of the unexpurgated version were
pushed through.
 Jesus Paredes (radio commentator) - Radio
commentator Jesus Paredes also said that Catholics
had the right to refuse to read them as it would
“endanger their salvation”.
 Fr. Jesus Cavana (member of the Paulist Order who
wrote a pastoral letter) - Fr. Jesus Cavanna argued
that the novels belonged to the past and that teaching
them would misrepresent current conditions.
 Religious Organizations (Catholic Action of the
Philippines, the Congregation of the Mission, the
Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Teachers
Guild)
 The Friars
 Catholic Schools
Intentions/Reasons of persons who blocked the approval of
Rizal Bill
• The Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are very
damaging to the clerics.
• The novels were written when Dr. Jose Rizal,
estranged from Catholic faith and religion and
contradict many of the Christian beliefs.
• To compel Catholic students to read a book which
contains passages contradicting their faith constitutes
a violation of a Philippine constitutional provision
• The novels do contain teachings contrary to Catholic
faith and so, the Church is opposed to the proposed
compulsory reading in their entirety of such books in
any school in the Philippines where Catholic students
may be affected.
Notable persons who fought for its approval:
• Sen. Jose P. Laurel - Chairman of the Committee on
Education, sponsored the bill in the Senate
• Sen. Claro M. Recto - who authored the Rizal Bill
• Other Illustrious
approval of Rizal Bill
• There is a need for a rededication to the ideals
of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes
lived and died.
• There is a need to remember with special fondness
and devotion the lives and works of our heroes who
shaped the national character.
• The life, works and writings of Dr. Jose
Rizal particularly, hisnovels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo are 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.
• There is a need to develop moral character, personal
discipline, civic conscience and to teach the duties of
citizenship.
Critical Analysis of the Law
(Extract from Teodoro Locsin, Sr., “The Church Leader
Attack”)
The 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 to fight for.
It was written for the Filipino people, specifically the Filipino
youth, who may have lost their sense of nationalism. The
writer attempts to show the audience the identity they have
slowly been losing and show how they can undo this.
The writers endeavored to rekindle a lost spark in each
Filipino’s belief in their country.
There are important points that the author cited in this republic
act that is worth noticing:
1. “Whereas, today, more than 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.”
2. “Whereas, all educational institutions are under the
supervision of and subject to regulation by the State,
and all school are enjoined to develop moral
character, personal discipline civic conscience, and to
teach the duties and citizenship.”
3. “The Board of National Education (BNE) 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 contributed, free of
charge, to persons desiring to read them, through the
Purok organizations and the Barrio Councils
throughout the country.”
This document was obviously written during a time when
patriotism and nationalism were lost and needed, and a time
when people were inspired by the initiative of the authors of
this act. It was during this time when the Philippines and its’
citizen relied on the United States for guidance, support and
welfare. It was written in order to seek aide from the same
brilliant mind that drove the Filipinos of the past to fight for
freedom from colonist entails another need for another
meaningful revolution in spite of the absence of invaders; the
country may have needed a slow-paced revolution driven by
patriotism against dormancy, apathy and futility.
1. PREPARATION OF THE BILL
The Member or the Bill Drafting Division of the Reference
and Research Bureau prepares and drafts the bill upon the
Member's request.
2. FIRST READING
1. The bill is filed with the Bills and Index Service
and the same is numbered and reproduced.
2. Three days after its filing, the same is included
in the Order of Business for First Reading.
3. On First Reading, the Secretary General reads
the title and number of the bill. The Speaker
refers the bill to the appropriate Committee/s.
3. COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION/ACTION
1. The Committee where the bill was referred to
evaluates it to determine the necessity of conducting
public hearings.  signed by all the conferees and the Chairman.
If the Committee finds it necessary to conduct public
hearings, it schedules the time thereof, issues public
notics and invites resource persons from the public
and private sectors, the academe and experts on the
proposed legislation. 
If the Committee finds that no public hearing is not
needed, it schedules the bill for Committee
discussion/s.
2. Based on the result of the public hearings or
Committee discussions, the Committee may
introduce amendments, consolidate bills on the same
subject matter, or propose a subsitute bill. It then
prepares the corresponding committee report.
3. The Committee approves the Committee Report and
formally transmits the same to the Plenary Affairs
Bureau.
4. SECOND READING
1. The Committee Report is registered and numbered by
the Bills and Index Service. It is included in the
Order of Business and referred to the Committee on
Rules.
2. The Committee on Rules schedules the bill for
consideration on Second Reading.
3. On Second Reading, the Secretary General reads the
number, title and text of the bill and the following
takes place:
a. Period of Sponsorship and Debate
b. Period of Amendments
c. Voting which may be by:
i. viva voce
ii. count by tellers
iii. division of the House; or
iv. nominal voting
5. THIRD READING
1. The amendments, if any, are engrossed and printed
copies of the bill are reproduced for Third Reading.
2. The engrossed bill is included in the Calendar of Bills
for Third Reading and copies of the same are
distributed to all the Members three days before its
Third Reading.
3. On Third Reading, the Secretary General reads only
the number and title of the bill.
4. A roll call or nominal voting is called and a Member,
if he desires, is given three minutes to explain his
vote. No amendment on the bill is allowed at this
stage.
a. The bill is approved by an affirmative vote of a
majority of the Members present.
b. If the bill is disapproved, the same is transmitted
to the Archives.
6. TRANSMITTAL OF THE APPROVED BILL TO
THE SENATE
The approved bill is transmitted to the Senate for its
concurrence.
7. SENATE ACTION ON APPROVED BILL OF THE
HOUSE
The bill undergoes the same legislative process in the Senate.
8. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
1. A Conference Committee is constituted and is
composed of Members from each House of Congress
to settle, reconcile or thresh out differences or
disagreements on any provision of the bill.
2. The conferees are not limited to reconciling the
differences in the bill but may introduce new
provisions germane to the subject matter or may
report out an entirely new bill on the subject.
3. The Conference Committee prepares a report to be
4. The Conference Committee Report is submitted for
consideration/approval of both Houses. No
amendment is allowed.
9. TRANSMITTAL OF THE BILL TO THE
PRESIDENT
Copies of the bill, signed by the Senate President and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and certified by both
the Secretary of the Senate and the Secretary General of the
House, are transmitted to the President.
10. PRESIDENTIAL ACTION ON THE BILL
1. If the bill is approved the President, the same is
assigned an RA number and transmitted to the House
where it originated.
2. If the bill is vetoed, the same, together with a
message citing the reason for the veto, is transmitted
to the House where the bill originated.
11. ACTION ON APPROVED BIL
The bill is reproduced and copies are sent to the Official
Gazette Office for publication and distribution to the
implementing agencies. It is then included in the annual
compilation of Acts and Resolutions.
12. ACTION ON VETOED BILL
The message is included in the Order of Business. If the
Congress decides to override the veto, the House and the
Senate shall proceed separately to reconsider the bill or the
vetoed items of the bill. If the bill or its vetoed items is passed
by a vote of two-thirds of the Members of each House, such
bill or items shall become a law.
Source: http://www.congress.gov.ph/legisinfo/#PRESID