John Mel Abhen Macatangay GEd 103- Life and Works of Rizal

EVALUATION/ ASSESMENT

Republic Act No. 1425 or simply the Rizal Law, commands the teaching of Dr. Jose Rizal’s life,
works and writing for all public, private schools, colleges and universities and the printing and
distribution of his biography and works. The 50’s was indeed confusing times. The country was
buffeted by corrupt political parties and news of political corruption was rampant. It is Senator
Claro M. Recto who authored the bill and it was Senator Jose P. Laurel Sr. who sponsored the
bill in the senate for he was the Chairman of the Committee on Education. Both of them
is known for their great sense of nationalism. It was June 12,the date of our
independence when the act was published. The proposed bill was not all pro in terms of
arbitration. There are oppositions who blocked the approval of the said bill particularly catholic
religious groups.

The intention of the proposed bill is to encourage dedication for the ideals of freedom,
patriotism and nationalism for which our heroes lived, fought and died. The opposition looks in
a different thought, they stated that the novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are
damaging for the clerics. The contrary further enunciates that the novels written by Jose P. Rizal
estranged and contradicts many Christian beliefs. They also insisted that the novels contains
passages in contradiction to the faith of the students. The intense debate and fight over the
Rizal Law tells us that we Filipinos believe the knowledge of history make us better citizens,
despite the opposition of the Catholic Church. . The RA 1425 does not indoctrinate Christian
beliefs instead it encourages the youth to conduct nationalism and patriosm. They stands
mainly on the views that there is a need to remember with special fondness and devotion to
the lives and works of our heroes who shaped our national character. Moreover they added
that the life and works of Jose P. Rizal are inspiring sources of inspiration to practice patriotism
and nationalism in the minds of the youth and lastly, the bill develops the moral character,
discipline, conscience and citizenship.