REPUBLIC ACT NO.
1425: THE RIZAL LAW How a Bill becomes a Law: The Legislative
The main sponsor and defender of the Rizal bill:
Claro Mayo Recto
▪ Was born in Tiaong, Tayabad (Quezon) on
February 8,1890 to Claro Recto, Sr and
Micaela Mayo.
▪ Maxima cum laude at Ateneo with his AB
degree in 1909.
▪ In 1914, he finished his law degree from the
University of Santo Tomas. He was
admitted to the bar that same year.
▪ His political career started in the House of
Representatives in 1919 when he was
elected as representative of the third district
of Batangas.
▪ He then became a senator in 1931.
▪ In the Senate, he held key positions such as
Minority Floor Leader, Majority Floor
Leader, and Senate President Pro-
Tempore.
▪ In 1935, he became Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court.
▪ Also instrumental in the drafting of the
constitution of the Philippines in 1934-1935
as he was selected President of the
assembly.
▪ He also served as diplomat and was an
important figure in international relations.
The context of the Rizal bill:
▪ The postwar period saw a Philippines rife
with challenges and problems. With a
country torn and tired from the stresses of
World War II, getting up on their feet was a
paramount concern of the people and the
government.
▪ As the Philippines grappled with various
challenges, particularly the call for nation-
building, prominent individuals who
championed nationalism came to action.
They pursued government measures to
instill patriotism and love for country in the
hearts and minds of the Filipinos.
▪ One measure sought was the passage of
the Republic Act No. 1425 or the Rizal Law,
which was primarily set to address “a need
to re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and
nationalism for which our heroes lived and
died.”
▪ The passage of the law was met with fierce
opposition in both the Senate and the
House of Representatives.
Process
Step 1. Bill is filed
It is given a number and calendared for first
reading.
Step 2. First reading.
The bill’s title, number, and author(s) are read on
the floor. Afterwards, it is referred to the appropriate
committee.
Step 3. Committee hearing.
The bill is discussed within the committee and a
period of consultations is held. The committee can
approve (approve without revisions, approve
without amendments, or recommend substitution or
consolidation with similar bills) or reject. After the
committee submits the committee report, the bill is
calendared for second reading.
Step 4. Second reading.
The bill is read and 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 bills are
distributed to the members of the Senate who will
vote for its approval or rejection.
Step 7. Consolidation of Versions from the
House.
The similar steps are followed by the House of
Representatives in coming up with the approved
bill. If 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
Malacañang.
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.
From the Rizal bill to the Rizal law:

May 17, 1956 – The Senate and the House
versions were approved.
June 12, 1956 – President Magsaysay signed the
bill into law which became Republic Act No. 1425.
SENATE BILL NO.438
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 proposed legislation.
April 23, 1956 – Debates started between the
Catholic Church, members of the Senate voicing
their opposition to the bill, Claro M. Recto, and his
allies in the Senate arguing for the passage of SB
438.
May 9, 1956 – Senator Jose P. Laurel proposed
amendments to the bill to remove the compulsory
reading of Rizal’s novels.
HOUSE BILL NO. 5561
April 19, 1956 – House Bill No. 5561, an identical
version of SB 438 was filed by Representative
Jacobo Z. Gonzales.
May 2, 1956 – The House Committee on Education
approved the bill without amendments.
May 9, 1956 – The debates commenced. 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.
May 14, 1956 – Similar amendments from the
Senate were adopted to the House version
regarding the removal of compulsory reading of
Rizal’s novels.
The Debates about the Rizal bill:
FOR
“Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo must be read
by all Filipinos. They must be taken to heart, for in
their pages we see ourselves as in a mirror, our
defects as well as our strength, our virtues as well
as our vices. Only then would we become conscious
as a people and so learn to prepare ourselves for
painful sacrifices that ultimately lead to self- reliance,
self- respect, and freedom.”
-Senator Jose P. Laurel
“Rizal did not pretend to teach religion when he
wrote those books. He aimed at inculcating civic
consciousness in the Filipinos, national dignity,
personal pride, and patriotism and if references were
made by him in the course of his narration to certain
religious practices in the Philippines in those days,
and to the conduct and behavior of erring ministers
of the church, it was because he portrayed faithfully
the general situation in the Philippines as it then
existed.”
-Senator Claro M. Recto
AGAINST
“A vast majority of our people are, at the same time,
Catholic and Filipino citizens. As such, they have two
great loves. They are harmonious affections, like the
love for his father and his mother.
This is the basis of my stand. Let us not create a
conflict between nationalism and religion, between
the government and the church.”
-Senator Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo
The Summary of the Rizal Law:
The Rizal Law could be considered a landmark
legislation in the postwar Philippines. During this
period, the Philippines was trying to get up on its feet
from a devastating war and aiming towards nation-
building. As the government sought ways to unite the
people, legislators like Claro M. Recto drew
inspiration from the lives of the heroes of the
revolution against Spain. The proposed legislation
however, met opposition particularly from the
Catholic Church. After much debate, the proposed
bill was eventually signed into law and became
Republic Act No. 1425.
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

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6,

p. 2971 in June 1956.