Rizal's Life and Works

● Act on Rizal Life, Works, and Writing - RA 1425

○ Rizal Law Authored by Claro M. Recto
○ Signed in the time of President Ramon Magsaysay on June 12 1956.
○ It is requirement to all courses in tertiary education
○ The Catholic Church is against the Law. - Because of the Spanish Friar oppression in the works of Rizal
○ Rizal Law aims to:
■ To rededicate the lives of the youth to the ideals of freedom and nationalism, for which our heroes
lived and died.
■ To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his life and works in shaping the filipino character
■ To gain an Inspiring source of patriotism thru the study of Rizal's life, works and Writings
○ History of Rizal Law
■ Senate bill 438 known as Rizal Bill, authored by Senator Claro M. Recto - is considered as one of
the most controversial bills in the Philippines.
■ Recto's original bill made it obligatory for college and university students to study the life and
works of Jose Rizal
○ But what made it controversial.
■ A lot of discussion.
■ Catholics are against it because Rizal novels have catholic dogmas.
■ The Bill was opposed by three senators
● Sen. Francisco Rodrigo
● Sen. Mariano Cuenco
● Sen. Decoroso Rosales
■ The Catholic Church was indirectly included in the debates and played a major role for the
intervention of signing of the bill into a law.
■ The Catholic Bishops conference in the Philippines (CBCP) submitted a pastoral letter which,
according to Rizal, violated the Canon Law 1399 Which forbids or bans books that attack or
ridicule the catholic doctrine and practices.
■ Rizal Anthology, A collection of Rizal's literary works that contain patriotic philosophy excluding
the two novels.
■ Due to apparently never-ending debate on the Rizal Bill, approved amendments were formulated
through ideas of three senators.
■ Senator Laurel - Other than Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, works written by Rizal and
Works written by others about Rizal would be included and Reading of the unexpurgated revision
of the two novels would no longer be compulsory to elementary and secondary levels but would
be strictly observed to college level.
■ Senator Lim - Suggested the exemption to those students who feel that reading Rizal's novels
would negatively affect his or her faith.
■ Senator Primicias - Promulgates the rules and regulations in getting an exemption only from
reading the two novels through written statement or affidavit and not from taking the Rizal
Course.
○ Provision of the Rizal Law
■ 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.
■ 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.
■ 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 Philippines 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…
■ Section 4 - Nothing in this Act shall be constructed as an amendment or repealing section nine
hundred twenty-seven of the Administrative Code, prohibiting the discussion of religious doctrines
by public school teachers and other persons engaged in any public school.
■ Section 5 - The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is hereby authorized to be 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
● Criteria for choosing National Hero
○ The person must be a Filipino.
○ The person is a peace-loving and pacifist.
○ The person must have a great sense of patriotism.
 Rizal's Life and Works
■ Patriotism - Patriotism is love someone feels for their country that is based on the idea that this
country itself is good and that good people live there.
■ Nationalism - Nationalism also is the love and affection for one's country, but it's based on the
idea that this particular country is better than all the rest.
○ The person must die for the country as a martyr.
● Why was Rizal chosen as a Hero?
○ He was the first Filipino to unite and awaken the Filipino people to peacefully rise for independence.
○ He is a model for being a peacemaker by his complete self-denial, his complete abandonment of his
personal interest and to think only of his country and people.
○ He was a towering figure in the propaganda campaign from 1882-1896.
○ He was a martyr at Bagumbayan where he willingly died for our country.
● Dr. Jose P. Rizal was chosen as the Greatest Philippines National Hero
○ Hero - A hero is a person admired for achievements and noble qualities and a prominent or central
personage taking an admirable action.
● Philippines don't have a National Hero
○ 9 Heroes Qualified as National Heroes
■ Jose Rizal ∆
■ Andres Bonifacio ∆
■ Emilio Aguinaldo
■ Apolinario Mabini
■ Marcelo H. Del Pilar
■ Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat
■ Juan Luna
■ Melchora Aquino
■ Gabriela Silang
● National Hero Committee - On March 28, 1993 President Fidel V. Ramos issued Executive Order No. 75 entitled
"Creating National Heroes Committee Under the Office of President"
○ The Principal duty of the Committee is to study, evaluate and recommend Filipino national
personages/heroes in due recognition of their starting character and remarkable achievements for the
country.
● Honors accorded to Rizal as the National Hero.
○ The day of his birth and day of his execution are fittingly commemorated by all classes of people.
○ Street, boulevard, educational institutions and persons were named "Rizal"
○ No other Filipino hero can Surpass Rizal in the number of monuments erected in his honor.
○ His noble thoughts and teachings had been frequently invoked and quoted by speakers.
○ His name is a by-word in every home and his picture is printed and used in postage stamps
○ The union of Manila and Morong to be a province was named after him
○ The paper money/coins with his image have widest circulation
● The Hero of Andres Bonifacio
○ Andres Bonifacio is one the fans of Rizal because of his works that enlightened so many filipinos.
○ La Liga Filipina - is a civic organization founded by Rizal which it reform the society tru education
unification of whole archipelago.
● KKK - Group for Independence of Spanish colonization tru revolution.
○ To recruit in KKK you need to triangle recruiting
○ Password of katipunan is Rizal
○ Rizal is against in revolution
○ August 19 1886 - Spaniards known the KKK
○ August 25 1896 - Revolution Start, Jose Rizal Arrested.
○ December 30 Rizal Day
 Rizal's Life and Works
● The Hero of other Nationalities
○ Americans Recognized Rizal
● Rizal Place of Birth - Calamba, Laguna
● Rizal Date of Birth - June 19, 1861
● Father of Rizal - Francisco Mercado - Graduate in philosophy in letters
● Mother of Rizal - Teodora Alonso