RA1425:

Rizal Law
(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 of 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 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

 Ang Pilipinas Matapos ang
Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig
1. Nagpatuloy ang dominasyon ng
Estados Unidos sa Pilipinas
partikular na sa aspetong
pampulitika, pangmilitar at pang
ekonomiya.
2. Patuloy na pakikibaka ng mga
Pilipino para sa tunay at ganap na
pagbabagong Panlipunan
Sen. Claro M. Recto

“…the reading of Rizal’s

novels would strengthen
the Filipinism of the youth
and foster patriotism”.
“We, too, can prosper, as other
nations which have become
free and have known how to
rely on themselves with
dignity and self-respect have
prospered. Our people
deserve a better fate, a
destiny realized in happiness
and freedom…”

- Claro M. Recto
(R.A. 1425)
• Inihapag sa Senado ni Sen.
Jose P. Laurel ang isang
panukalang batas (Senate
Bill 438) na naglalayong
pag-aralan ang buhay at
mga akda ni Jose Rizal
noong Abril 17, 1956.
 Senate Bill 438
• An Act to make Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo
compulsory reading matter in
all public and private colleges
and universities and for other
purposes.
• Ilan sa mga ito ay sina:
Sen. Decoroso Rosales
Sen. Mariano Cuenco
Sen. Francisco Rodrigo

• Ang mga pagbatikos ng mga senador na ito ang

nagbigay-daan para sa mga debate sa pagitan ng
mga laban at pumapabor dito.
Sen. Claro M. Recto
Catholic Action of Manila (CAM)
(1) ang kanilang opisyal na pahayagan,
Sentinel ay inilabas na araw-araw sa halip
na isang beses lamang sa isang linggo at;

(2) hinikayat ang mga Katoliko na sumulat sa

mga Senador at Kongresman na ibasura ang
Batas Rizal
 Against Rizal Law

• “Compulsion to read something against one’s

religious convictions was no different from a
requirement to salute the flag, which according to
the latest decision on the matter by the US Supreme
Court, was an impairment both of freedom of
speech and freedom of religion.”

- Principal argument of Senators Rodrigo,

Rosales and Cuenco
 “A vast majority of our people are at the same
time Catholics and Filipino citizens. As such,
they have two great loves: their country and
their faith. These two loves are not conflicting
loves. They are harmonious affections, like the
love of a child for his father and for 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 Rodrigo
 Rizal’s novels “belong to the past” and it would be
“harmful” to read them because they presented a “false
picture” of conditions in the country at that time. Noli
Me Tangere is an “attack on the clergy” and its object
was to “put to ridicule the Catholic faith.”
The novel was not really patriotic because out of
333 pages, only 25 contained patriotic passages while
120 were devoted to anti-Catholic attack.

- Fr. Jesus Cavanna

(speaker on the symposium organized by CAM)
“Since some parts of the novels had
been declared “objectionable matter”
by the hierarchy, Catholics had the
right to refuse to read them so as not
to “endanger their salvation.”

- JESUS PAREDES
Radio commentator
“The bill was Recto’s revenge against
the Catholic voters who, together with
Magsaysay, were responsible for his
poor showing in the 1955 senatorial
elections.”

- NARCISO PIMENTEL JR.

Radio commentator
 PASTORAL LETTER

Makakasira sa imahe ng
Simbahan ang
pagbabasa sa mga
nobela at maging sa
buhay ni Rizal.
 PRO RIZAL LAW
• Sa tatlong oras na talumpati sa
Senado, binatikos ni Recto ang
pastoral letter ng Simbahang
Katoliko. Ayon sa kanya, dinaig
pa ng pastoral letter ang
pagkundena ng mga
Dominikano sa mga nobela na
naging dahilan ng pagbaril kay
Rizal sa Luneta noong ika-19
dantaon.
• Dagdag pa rito, binanggit ni
Recto na ang pagbabasa ng
nasabing pastoral letter “should
open the eyes of the people to
the real enemies of Rizal and
true nationalism”
• Bilang tugon sa bantang
ipapasara ng Simbahan ang mga
paaralang Katoliko sa sandaling
maipasa ang batas, nakita ni
Recto na pabor ito sa bansa
upang maisakatapuran na ang
nationalization ng mga paaralan.
Katulad ng Senate Bill 438,
hakbang din ito upang
mapalawak ang nasyonalismo sa
mga Filipino.
• Ayon kay Recto, “They (Catholic
Church) are making too much
profit which they can ill-afford to
give up.”
• “Rizal did not pretend to teach religion or
theology when he wrote these 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.”
- CM Recto
• “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

Original text Revised text

• An Act to include in the

• An Act to make Noli curricula of all public and
Me Tangere and El private schools, colleges
Filibusterismo and universities courses on
compulsory reading the life, works and writings
of Jose Rizal, particularly his
matter in all public
novels Noli Me Tangere and
and private colleges El Filiobusterismo,
and universities and authorizing the printing and
for other purposes. distribution, thereof, and for
other purposes.
• Senado: Naipasa ang batas na 23 senador ang pabor
(Panukalang Batas bilang 438)
• Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso: 71 ang pabor; 9 ang
hindi pabor; 2 nagpasyang di bumoto (Panukalang Batas
bilang 5564)
• Ang pinagsamang PB 438 at PB 5564 ay naging Batas
Pambansa bilang 1425.
• Nilagdaan ang panukalang batas ng dating Pangulong Ramon
Magsaysay at naging Republic Act 1425 noong Hunyo 12,1956
na mas lalong popular sa tawag na BATAS RIZAL.
• Sa gitna ng panlabas at
panloob na mga
panlipunang suliraning
kinaharap ng bansa noong
1950’s, naniwala si Recto
na ang pag-aaral sa buhay
at akda ni Rizal ang
gigising sa natutulog na
damdaming makabayan
ng mga Pilipinong mag-
aaral.
• Taong 1956 nang ipasa at
ipatupad ang R.A. 1425.
Makalipas ang 64 taon,
nananatili pa rin ang mga
suliraning panlipunan;
nananatili pa rin ang
pangangailangan ng bansa sa
mga bayani; nananatili pa rin
ang bisa ng mga sinulat ni
Rizal.
• At nananatili pa rin ang
panawagan ni Rizal na
mahalin at paglingkuran ang
Inang Bayan.
“Nasaan ang kabataang dapat mag-alay ng
kanyang kasariwaan, ng kanyang mga
panaginip at sigasig ukol sa kabutihan ng
kanyang Inang Bayan?...Hinihintay namin
kayo, o mga kabataan! Halikayo sapagkat
hinihintay namin kayo!”
- Padre Florentino
El Filibusterismo