Activity 2 

Answer the following questions.

1. a. Considering the context of the 1950's, what other issues and interests were
at stake in the debate over the Rizal Bill?  Do these issues remain pertinent in the
present day?

Above all issues and interests, it was the church that criticized the bill which was
sponsored by the Senate Committee on Education and co-written by Jose P. Laurel and
Recto. There were two main people named– Francisco SOC Rodrigo Mariano Jesus
Cuenco and Decoroso Rosales who strongly opposed the bill

Cuenco emphasized that Rizal attacked the practices and beliefs of the church.
According to an article from Wikipedia, he stated:

“The assertion that Rizal limited himself to castigating undeserving priests and refrained
from criticizing, ridiculing, or putting in doubt dogmas of the Catholic Church, is
absolutely gratuitous and misleading.”

Moreover, Catholic schools also threatened to close down if the bill was approved.
However, Recto quickly rebutted that if that were to happen, schools would be
nationalized and church did not want that.

These issues remain pertinent until this day, having the religious sector against the
government. One example is the issue brought about by Reproductive Health law.

   b. In view of the issued at stake in the passage of RA 1425, Is teaching Rizal’s
life as hagiography consistent with the law?

First off, law is a rule that defines set of regulations for the people. Amid the
controversy, the teaching of Rizal’s life was brought to a law and I would like to say that
there is nothing we can do about that. Teaching Life and Works of Rizal must be
consistent with the law even one opposes it.

Secondly, we cannot deny how Rizal marked a history –a history of heroism over the
years that no one can ever erase. There were claims that Rizal is anti-church but other
say he is not because he is a devoted Catholic. The bottom line is not how he is
anti/pro, it is how he acted appropriately for the benefit of the generations, then and now
and for the country and his faith to God.
Lastly, I would say that each one of us reflects Rizal, if not, a part of him. If teaching
Rizal’s life and his works is not consistent, no one would be able to be a modern day
hero as how Rizal used to be.