Princess Mae A.

Macalaguing April 8, 2022

BSMA

“Reflection to the making of Rizal Law”

Rizal’s Law states that life and works of Jose Rizal should be taught in schools and universities to
students during their formative and decisive years. The law aims to develop within the student’s
moral character, personal discipline, and civic conscience.

The law comes with a premise that the life and works of Rizal can influence an individual to choose
what is morally just, to act with discipline, and to function in society as a citizen that values co-
existence and social responsibility.

The law also believes that the life and works of Rizal are inspiring sources of patriotism. With
patriotism generally defined as the devotion to one’s country, the law also comes with a premise,
that Rizal lived a life dedicated to the country, and that his works are for the benefit of the country.

Through the Rizal’s law, the country is hoping to produce citizens who are not only devoted to the
country, but people whose life and works are actual contributions to the nation. It aims to produce
citizens who are law-abiding, selfless, and socially responsible, all for the sake of the nation.

The patriotism asked by the law is not patriotism by mouth and political correctness alone. It is
not the patriotism exercised by mere activism. It is patriotism taken really for what it is. It’s that
patriotism that empowers an individual to put his country and fellowmen first before oneself in
EVERYTHING that he does. It’s that patriotism that empowers an individual to think not what is
good for himself for today, rather what is good for the nation for that moment and the days to
come. These things may not be stated in the Republic Act literally, but all these things are found
in the writings of Rizal.

Rizal’s propaganda in essence is for nation building. What he fought for was for the country and
its citizens to have a chance to develop the concept of nationalism. He wanted a Filipino
representative in the Spanish Parliament, Filipino Friars, and equal rights between Spaniards and
Filipinos. He wanted the country to have a voice in the arena of its conqueror; He wanted the
people to be given a chance to realize their rights; He wanted the country to have a chance to
realize what is really right and wrong before God; He wanted Filipinos to have a chance to think
and to therefore establish what is right and wrong for them as a society.

The kind revolution Rizal wanted in its very core, was unification not only in ideals, but also in
values. Rizal’s Law can only be an effective tool in instilling patriotism among our youth, if Rizal
and his ideals, through his life and works, are taught with integrity. His works not only show what
he fought for. They also show the problems we had then.

In both his novels, the revolution failed. The first chose the pen, the latter chose the sword. If we
connect his words to his appeals and other writings, we can come to realize, that he believed any
form of revolution will fail, if Filipinos cannot first form within themselves a sense of patriotism.
Philippines is currently a Republic, and is recognized as an independent nation where everyone is
equal before the law. What however is lacking is what Rizal believed we needed then a foundation
as a nation.

This country believes Rizal was right. We even have a law to support it. But do we actually teach
it, or do we use it to make our young believe what we want them to believe? Whether or not our
current and past choices were correct should be left for the future to decide. This however can only
be possible if we teach with integrity and we set our biases aside.