INTRODUCTION

what is Rizal Law? What exactly is Rizal Law or as it is called

Republic Act No. 1425, there are many of us who do not know the Rizal

law, what it contains, and why it was made into law, what it went

through before it was enacted. The Rizal Law, officially designed as

Republic Act No. 1425, may be a Philippine Law that mandates all

educational institutions within the Philippines both public and

private in the Philippines to provide courses on José Rizal

particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. As

stated in the SECTION 2, that All schools, colleges, and universities

must keep an adequate number of copies of the original and

unexpurgated editions of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as

well as Rizal's other works and biography, in their libraries. Its

main goal is to recommit the lives of today's youth to the ideals of

liberty and nationalism for which our forefathers fought and died. To

honor our national hero for dedicating his life and work to shaping

the Filipino character. It reminds us that he is our national hero.

Recognizing his dedication to fighting for our freedom in a silent but

powerful way by writing against the oppression of Spaniards. According

to Laurel, D. J. B. (n.d.). Jose Rizal's life, works, and writings,

especially Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are a consistent and

motivating source of patriotism that should permeate young people's

thoughts, especially during their formative and crucial years in

school. His works have enlightened many Filipinos and most likely,

future generations.
However, there is expected furious backlash against the law. The

Catholic Church objected to Rizal's portrayal of friars in his novels

because it described them negatively at the time. Students would be

negatively affected if they were required to read the original

versions of Rizal's novels. The church was concerned that the bill

would infringe on their right to free conscience and religion. The

Catholic Church attempted to prevent Congress from requiring all

schools to include Dr. Jose Rizal's novels in their curriculum. If the

Church had been successful, the works of Rizal would have been

forgotten today, leaving the nation devoid of thought and inspiration.

Furthermore, the Church desired to erase that shameful period in

Philippine history in which its priests were more concerned with

temporal power than with eternal life and Christ's teachings.

IMPORTANCE

Why is it important to study Rizal's works and Rizal's life? We all

know that Jose Rizal is our national hero, wherein he fought with the

use of his novela achievements, such as Noli Me Tangere and El

Filibusterismo. Jose Rizal did not use any weapons to fight, the only

thing that Rizal have was his sharp mind. It is done to pay tribute to

our country's heroes, particularly Jose Rizal, because they sacrificed

their lives for us and for this nation, and that sacrifice cannot be

measured in monetary terms. The younger generations and I just knew

the bare minimum about Rizal, but if we take the time to reflect on

his works and achievements, we will draw inspiration from him. He

spent virtually all of his life fighting for the freedom and justice

of the Filipino people because his love for his countrymen was
stronger than his love for himself.

A. Is the teaching of Rizal’s Life and Works course realistic given

the dangers and sensitivities of literature as a means of

communication in learning nationalism, patriotism, and volunteerism?

No, because the works of Jose Rizal contributed and features a great

impact to the present standing of our country Philippines. It’s only

right that the scholar and teachers also because the people of the

Philippines to find out and know the good ideas of Jose Rizal about

nationalism, patriotism and volunteerism.

Nationalism is being proud and constant to one’s country that results

in attain the liberty and political independence of it. Patriotism on

the opposite hand is that the devotion and love for a rustic like

dedicating and readiness to sacrifice your life for a nation. Lastly,

volunteerism is that the act or practice of intentionally helping the

country.

Since Jose Rizal is that the founder or the father of the Nationalism.

We must include it within the teaching and learning. That’s why the

Republic Act 1425 also referred to as the Rizal Law which mandated the

teaching of Jose Rizal's life, works and writings especially his

novels; Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo to be teach in every

school. Apart from the Rizal Law, there’s also a memorandum from the

Malacañang Order No. 247 stating that the Republic Act 1425 must be

fully implemented in every school within the Philippines. Another

memorandum is from the Commission of upper Education (CHED) No. 3,

s.1995 that the teaching of Life, works and writing of Jose Rizal must
be included within the course of the universities particularly his two

novels which the Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

The teaching of Rizal's course help us to know what nationalism,

patriotism and volunteerism. Through Jose Rizal's life we will find

out how he face various challenges in his life. Displaying that you

simply can show you like to your country without using violence or any

weapon. He encountered serious dilemma and predicament in his life but

Jose Rizal responded decently and high mindedly. Through his works he

awakened and triggered the Nationalism of the Filipino. Because the

love of the Filipinos in their country awakened, most of them are

willing to die just to be free from the Spanish Colonial. On the day

of the execution of the GomBurZa we will say that the Filipinos show

their nationalism and patriotism.

Another thing is about the written works or the literature. There’s

tons of literature about nationalism, patriotism and volunteerism the

Filipinos that was written. By various author that have different

lineage. So we will not assure if those literature were authentic,

reliable and relevant when it involves the knowledge.

Because a number of the authors have their own idea, opinion, and

ideas that was mixed within the information gathered. It's going to be

bias, lack of data or exaggerated.

Thankfully, the teaching of Jose Rizal's life, works and writings were

included in the curriculum of our country. Where it teaches us how we

will show our love for our country without using violence or any

weapon. And there are laws and memorandum that can assure that the
life and works of Rizal were a part of Philippines Education.

B. How important are literary criticism in the study of Rizal’s Life

and Works?

Lawfully, the study of Jose Rizal's life, works, and writings is a

required academic subject. Far from being useless, the course is so

valuable that some modern academicians claim that it is more

beneficial than many other courses in other curricula, especially when

it is taught well. In accordance with Nuncio, R. V. (2014). There are

numerous aspects that make a good literary piece extraordinary, but

none of them will suffice if it refers to the reader's experience and

self-awareness, as in Rizal's historical novels. In this environment,

an intertextual interaction between history, literature, and, most

importantly, readers becomes successful. We must continue to reflect

historical lessons and repeat the same conflicts, sufferings, and

successes deep inside our body and soul as Filipinos. Finally,

historical novels combine reality with fiction—a merging of which

Casper claims the Philippine revolution/history is documented. There

is a wealth of historical data in the Jose Rizal course that can be

used as a basis for making life decisions.

It is very important that literary criticism can see the whole aspect

of literary work, based on the critic used in seeing the literary

work. It is not only matter of how to read and understanding the work

but how to interpret the text with the work. Furthermore, criticism

can be used to analyze and see things beyond the work relate to daily

life, social community and the relationship within the community. Of

course, critic as basic word of criticism is totally different with

the review or report about literary work. Critics not only talk about

good or bad about literary work, not only talk about the weakness but

also about the strengths of literary work. That's why the literary

criticism is important in the study of Rizal's Life and Works.

Literary criticism see the literary work from some point of views. For

instance; social aspect, economy, psychology, history, and philosophy.

Those aspects can enrich our knowledge as reader base on what aspect

that become our focus because critics as tool for the reader to

understanding what literary talk about, what message that will be

delivered to the reader. Literary criticism can improve our capability

in reading comprehension in order to understand broader about literary

work. By applying literary criticism in reading Rizal's works, we will

know what Rizal was thinking while writing his poems and novels.
C. If given a chance to deconstruct one of Rizal’s written

works (both well-known and obscure), what would it be and what is its

relation to the analysis and understanding of nation-building?

I would choose "Kundiman" by Rizal to analyze in detail if given the

chance. The line "Magbabalik man din at muling iiral, ang ngalang

tagalog sasandaigdigan," or in English "and once more throughout the

world with rising admiration, shall sound the name of the tagalog

race," is what I would replace. He may have used the word "Filipinos"

instead of "tagalog," as he did. He didn't consider the entire

Philippine nation; just the tagalogs. I believe that people who were

raised in Luzon are superior than those who were not. If it were

changed to that, it would be more patriotic because all Filipino

citizens would be included in addition to Tagalog speakers.

Discrimination against Bisayas will be eliminated or reduced, and we

will be more united than ever. Being united as one is important in

nation building because it eliminates conflicts and allows us to

better understand one another.

References:

Republic Act No. 1425 | GOVPH. (n.d.). Official Gazette of the

Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1956/06/12/republic-act-no-1425/

Laurel, D. J. B. (n.d.). THE TRIALS OF THE RIZAL BILL. 5. Retrieved

September 27, 2022, from

https://elms.sti.edu/files/4039736/01_Handout_1(13).pdf?

lmsauth=9c629af10de359da14cf997ffa1c03ebb5ae37ea

Nuncio, R. V. (2014). Mirroring and Reliving History through Rizal’s

Novels: An Intertextual Reading Using Casper’s and Dilthey’s Frame. 5.

Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/wp-

content/uploads/pdf/conferences/research-congress-proceedings/2014/

TPHS/TPHS-I-004-FT.pdf