Understanding the Rizal Law STEP 4 Second Reading.
The bill is read and
Vocabulary:
Bill- a measure which, if passed through the
legislative process, becomes a law
Unexpurgated- basically untouched. In the case of
the novels of Rizal, unexpurgated versions were
those that were not changed or censored to remove
parts that might offend people.
Bicameral - involving the two chambers of
Congress; the Senate and the House of
Representatives
Introduction
According to Republic Act 1425, better known
as Rizal Law, the teaching of Jose Rizal's life with
the emphasis on his famous novels is mandatory.
The law was passed in 1956 after many debates and
contestation.
* The Senate and the House of Representatives
follow the same legislative procedure.
*Legislative proposal emanate from a number of
sources.
* Authored by the members of the Senate or House
as part of their advocates and agenda; produced
through the lobbying from various sectors; or
initiated by the executive branch of the government
with the president’s legislative agenda.
Steps:
STEP 1 Bill is filed in the Senate Office of the
Secretary. It is given a number and calendared for
first reading.
STEP 2 First Reading. The bill’s title, number, and
the author(s) are read on the floor. Afterwards, it is
referred to the appropriate committee .
STEP 3 Committee Hearings. The bill is discussed
within the committee and a period of consultations
is held. The committee can approve ( approved
without revisions, approve with amendments, or
recommend substitution or consolidation with
similar bills) or reject. After the committee submits
the committee report, the bill is calendared from
second reading.
discussed on the floor. The author delivers a
sponsorship speech. The other members of the
Senate may engage in discussions regarding the bill
and a period of debates will pursue. Amendments
may be suggested to the bill.
STEP 5 Voting on Second Reading. The senators
vote on whether to approve or reject the bill. If
approved, the bill is calendared for third reading .
STEP 6 Voting on Third Reading . Copies of the
final versions of the bill are distributed to the
members of the Senate who will vote for its
approval or rejection.
STEP 7 Consolidation of Version from the House.
The similar steps above are followed by the House
of Representatives in coming up with the approved
bill. Of there are differences between the Senate and
House versions, a bicameral conference committee
is called to reconcile the two. After this, both
chambers approve the consolidated version.
STEP 8 Transmittal of the Final Version to
Malacañan. The bill is then submitted to the
President for signing. The President can either sign
the bill into law or veto and return it to Congress.
Presentation
How did the Rizal Bill become the Rizal Law?
On April 3, 1956, Senate Bill No. 438 was filed by
Jose P. Laurel, the then-Senate Committee on
Education Chair, and delivered speeches for the
proposed legislation. This proposal was met by
controversies, especially the Catholic Church which
opposed its passage. The Catholic Church was
influential so that it created a fierce argument
between those who sided with the Church and the
allies of Claro Recto. One of the opposition
members was Francisco "Soc" Rodrigo. Debates
started on April 23, 1956.
The debates on the Rizal Bill occurred in the
House of Representatives. House Bill No. 5561, an
identical version of Senate Bill 438, was filed by
Representative Jacobo Z. Gonzales on April 19,
1956. The House Committee on Education
approved the bill without amendment on May 2,
1956, and the debates started on May 9, 1956. A
major point of the debate was whether the
compulsory reading of the novels Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo appropriated in the bill was
constitutional. The call to read the unexpurgated
versions was also challenged.
During the debate, it seemed that it was not
possible to reach an agreement. To move the
procedure to the next step, Senator Jose P. Laurel
proposed amendments to the bill on May 9, 1956. In
particular, he removed the compulsory reading of
Rizal's novels and proposed that Rizal's other works
be included in the subject. However, he still stood in
his belief that the unexpurgated version of the
novels is read. On May 14, 1956, similar
amendments were adopted to the House version.
The amended version of the bill was also
subjected to scrutiny but was acceptable to the
members of Congress. But the passage was almost
stopped by technicality since the House of
Representatives was about to adjourn in a few days
and President Ramon Magsaysay did not certify the
bill as a priority. The allies in the House skillfully
avoided the insertion of any other amendment to
prevent the need to reprint new copies (which
would take time). They also asked the Bureau of
Printing 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 transmitted to
Malacanan and on June 12, 1956, President
Magsaysay signed the bill into law which became
Republic Act No. 1425.
The Rizal Law
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 ELI FILIBUSTERISMO,
AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING AND
DISTRIBUTION THEREOF, AND FRO 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,
were, a member with special fondness and devotion
their lives and works that have shaped the national
character;
WHEREAS, life works and writing of Jose Rizal,
particularly his novels Noli Me Tangtere 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. Course on the life works, and
writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be included
the curricula of all schools, colleges and
universities, public or private: Provided, That in the
collegiate courses, the original or unexpurgated
editions of the Nilo Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo or their English translation shall be
used as basic texts.
SECTION 2. It shall be obligatory on all schools,
colleges, and universities to keep 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 persons 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, 19561956.
Published in the Official Gazette, Vol.52,No.6.2971
in June
Nation and Nationalism
Vocabulary:
Nation- a group of people with a shared language,
culture, and history.
Nation-state- a state ruling over a nation
Sovereignty - the authority to govern a polity
without external interference/incursions
State- A political entity that wields sovereignty
over a defined territory.
Patriotism - a feeling of attachment to one's
homeland
bayan/banua - indigenous Filipino concepts of
community and territory that may be related to
nationalism
Introduction
The previous topic stated that one of the major
reasons behind the passage of the Rizal Law was the
strong intent to instill nationalism in the hearts and
minds of the Filipino youth. This topic focuses on
nation and nationalism in the Philippine context. it
will explain the concepts of nation, state, and the
nation-state as a precursor to understanding
nationalism and the projects that lead to it. likewise,
the discussion will touch on some of Rizal's work
that deals with nation and nationalism.
Nation – A group of people that shares a common
culture, history, language, and other practices like
religion, affinity to a place, etc.
Nation-State – A state governing a nation
State – A political entity that wields sovereignty
over a defined territory
Nation and Nationalism
Three theories that explain the roots of the nation
and national identity
Primordialism - This theory traces the root of the
nation and national identity to existing and deep-
rooted features of a group of people like race,
language, religion, and others. Proponents of this
theory argued that national identity has always
existed and nations have ethnic cores, whereas
division among citizens was determined through di-
customizing 'us' and "them".
Modernity - Nationalism and national identity are
products of social structure and culture brought by
capitalism, urbanization, secularization, and
bureaucratization.
Constructivist approach - nationalism and
nationalism are results of discourses socially
constructed and imagined by people who identify
with a group.
Nation and Bayan
The actual articulations of nation and nationalism
started by Filipino heroes like Andres Bonifacio,
Jose Rizal, and others culminated in the anti-
colonial revolution in Asia.
However, many Filipino scholars traced the concept
of nation and nationalism through indigenous
knowledge. Sikolohiyang Pilipino and Bagong
Kasaysayan understood nation and nationalism in
the context of Kapwa and bayan.
Kapwa is an important concept in the country's
social relations and supports the notion of unity and
harmony in a community. Kapwa presupposed the
Filipino culture and psyche anchored on collective
social practices that manifest in linguistic terms
such as pakikipagkapwa, pakikisama, pakikipag-
ugnay, and pakikibaka.
Bayan or banua - is defined as the territory where
the people live or the actual community they are
identifying with. It encompasses both the spatial
community as well as the imagined community.
Excerpts from Emilio Jacinto's Kartilya ng
Katipunan and Liwanag at Dilim
Kartilya ng Katipunan:
Sa May Nasang Makisanib sa Katipunang Ito
Sa pagkakailangan, na ang lahat na nag-iibig
pumasok sa katipunang ito, ay magkaroon ng lubos
na pananalig at kaisipan sa mga layong tinutungo at
mga kaaralang pinaiiral, minarapat na ipakilala sa
kanila ang mga bagay na ito, at ng bukas
makalawa'y huwag silang magsisi at tuparing
maluwag sa kalooban ang kanilang mga tungkulin.
hinahanap. Ang pinakaulong ito ay tinatawag na
pamahalaan.
" Ang kadahilanan nga ng mga pinuno ay ang byan,
at ang kagalingan at kaginhawaan nito ay siyang
tanging dapat tunguhin ng lahat nilang gawa at
kautusan. tungkol nila ang umakay sa bayan sa
ikagiginhawa, kailan pa ma't maghirap at maligaw
ay kasalanaan nila.
" Ang alinmang kaangyarihan upang maging tunay
at matuwid ay sa Bayan lamang at sa kanyang mga
tunay na pinakakatawan dapat na manggaling. Sa
madaling salita, di dapat nating kilalanin ang
pagkatao ng mga pinuno na mataas kaysa madla.
Ang pagsunod at pagkilala sa kanila ay dahil sa
kapangyarihang ipinagkaloob ng bayan,
samakatuwid, ang kabuuan ng kapangyarihan ng
bawat isa. Sa bagay na ito, ang sumusunod sa
pinunong inilagay ng bayan ay dito sumusunod at sa
paraaang ito'y nakikipag isa sa kalahatan."

Ang kabagayang pinag-uusig ng katipunang ito ay

lubos na dakila at mahalaga; papag-isahin ang loob
at kaisipan ng lahat ng tagalog (*) sa pamamagitan
ng isang mahigpit na panunumpas, upang sa
pagkakaisang ito'y magkalakas na iwasan ang
masinsing tabing na nakabubulag sa kaisipan at
matuklasan ang tunay na landas ng Katuwiran at
Kaliwanagan.
(*) Sa salitang tagalog katutura'y ang lahat nang
tumubo sa Sangkapuluang ito; sa makatuid, bisaya
man, iloko man kapangpangan man, etc., ay tagalog
din.
Dito'y isa sa mga kauna-unahang utos, ang tunay na
pag-ibig sa bayang tinubuan at lubos na
pagdadamayan ng isa't isa.
Liwanag at Dilim
" Ang alinmang katipunan at pagkakaisa ay
nangangailanagn ng isang pinakaulo, ng isang
kapangyarihang makapagbibigay ng ayos,
makapagpapanatili ng tunay na pagkakaisa at
makapag-aakay sa hangganang ninanais, katulad ng
sasakyang itinutugpa ng bihasang piloto, na kung
ito'y mawawala ay nanganganib na maligaw at
abutin ng kakila-kilabot na kamatayan sa laot ng
dagat, na di na makaaasang makaduduong sa
pampang ng maligaya at payapang kabuhayang