Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

BANSUD BRANCH
BANSUD, ORIENTAL MINDORO

THE STUDY OF DR. JOSE P. RIZAL COURSE

AND REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425

In

RIZAL`S LIFE, WORKS ANG WRITINGS

GEED 10013

Prepared By:
GENE D. GAYETA
 Lesson 1- The Study of Dr. Jose P. Rizal Course and Republic Act No. 1425

I. Overview
The Study of Dr. Jose P. Rizal`s life, works and writings has been mandated by
Republic Act No. 1425 known as the Rizal Law, approved on June 12, 1956,
provides for the integration of the study of the life and works of Dr. Jose P. Rizal in
the curriculum of the tertiary level and took effect on August 16, 1956.

In July 1956, Jose P. Laurel, Claro Mayo Recto, Jose B. Laurel Jr, Jacobo
Gonzales, Lorenzo Tañada and other lawmakers sponsored the R.A. 1425 that
would enforce the teaching of the life and works of Dr. Jose P. Rizal. The law
mandates that a course on the life of Dr. Jose Rizal should be included in the
curricula in all schools, colleges, and universities especially in tertiary and graduate
levels both in public and private schools. It should consist of the study of Rizal`s life,
works and virtues, most notably the two great novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo.

II. Objectives
After successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:

1. Explain the history of the Rizal law and its important provisions;
2. Gain insights about Dr. Jose P. Rizal course and its important provisions by reading
the Republic Act (R.A.)1425/Rizal Law
3. Familiarize with the laws and acts passed in the Philippines that gave
recognition to Rizal`s achievenments and contribution to the Philippines;
4. Critically assess the usefulness/effectiveness of the Rizal course; and
5. Evaluate the heroism and martyrdom of Dr. Jose P. Rizal

III. Course Materials/Content

The Father of Rizal law: Claro Mayo Recto

Claro Mayo Recto, he was a Filipino politician, jurist, poet and one of the great
statemen of his generation. Heis remembered for his nationalism, for “ the impact of
his patriotic convictions on modern political thought.” He launched his political carrer
as a legal adviser to the first Philippine Senate in 1916. In 1919, he was elected
representative from the second district of Batangas. He served as a minority floor
leader for several years until 1925. His grasp of parliamentary procedures won him
the praises of friends and challengers alike. He traveled to the United States as a
member of the Independence Mission and was admitted to the American Bar in
1924. Upon his return, he founded the Partido Democrata.

In 1928, he temporarily retired from active politics and dedicated himself to the
practice and teaching of law. Recto found the world of academia restrictive and
 tiresome. Although he still engaged in the practice of law, he resigned from his
teaching job in 1931 and re-entered politics when he ran and won a senate seat and
was subsequently elected its majority floor leader in 1934.

Recto was known as an abogado milagroso (layer of miracles), a tribute to his

may victories in the judicial court. He was appointed Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court of the Philippines in 1935 by U.S.A. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
As a jurist, he debated against U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower`s Attorney
General Herbert Brownell Jr. on the question of U.S. ownership of military bases in
the Philippines, a question that remained unsolved.

Recto presided over the assembly that drafted the Philippine Constitution in
1934-1935 in accordance with the provisions of the Tydings Mc Duffie Act and a
preliminary step to independence and self-governance after a 10-year transitional
period.

His prominence as a lawyer paralleled his fame as a writer. He was known for his
flawless logic and rationality of mind in both undertakings. He served the wartime
cabinet of President Jose P. Laurel during the Japanese occupation. Together with
Jose P. Laurel, Camilo Osias, and Quintin Paredes, he was taken into the custody by
the American colonial government and tried for treason. In his defense, in his treatise
entitled “Three Years of Enemy Occupation”, in 1946, he convincingly presented the
case of patriotic conduct of Filipino during World War II. He fought legal battles and
was aquitted.

His critics claim that Recto`s brilliance is overshadowed by his inability to capture
nationwide acceptance. The political editorialist, Manuel L. Quezon III, laments this
fact:

“Claro M. Recto`s leadership was the curious kind that only finds fulfillment from
being at the periphery of power, and not from being its fulcrum. It was the best
occupation suited to the satirist that he was. His success at the polls would be
limited, his ability to mold the minds of his contemporaries was only excelled by
Rizal`s…But he was admired for his intellect and his dogged determination to never
let the opposition be bereft of a champion, still his opposition was flawed. For it was
one that never bothered to transform itself into an opposition capable of taking
power.

As father of the Rizal Law, Recto sponsored the Rizal Bill together with fellow law
makers. The bill would require all high school, colleges, and universities to include in
the curricula a course in the study of Dr. Jose Rizal`s life, works, and writings, mainly
the great novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo to provide an in-depth study
of nationalism and the shaping of national character.
 THE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425 (RIZAL LAW)

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425

House Bill No. 5561
Senate Bill No. 438

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 covered;

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 or 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 a 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

 By integrating Rizal in the Curriculum, this would benefit the Filipino youth as
well as the whole nation to acquire the following traits: incorruptible, confidence,
direction, courage and determination, high sense of relationship, nationalism, and
patriotism.

Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 2 Series of 1996 directs the

Committee on Education for the inclusion of the Rizal Course as a 3-unit lesson
with the following aims and purposes:

1. The law aims and desires to re-establish that the Filipinos themselves be imbued with
the principles of freedom and a sense of nationalism. The rationale of which is to
perpetuate the memories of our hero`s death and sacrifices.
2. The law aims to honor the heroes partricularly Dr. Jose P. Rizal and to remind us of
his sacrifices and his two novels- Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo that paved
the way to the nationalism and patriotism of the entire country.
3. The law aims to cultivate and inculcate among the students in all schools the
character development, self-discipline, civic consciousness and to teach the duties of
citizenship which became the primary reasons for the enactment of the law for
reforms and changes.

To take one`s interest of and to comprehend fully and satisfactorily the life, works and
writings of Dr, Jose Rizal, our narional hero, it is indispensable to gain knowledge of the
background of world history and the Philippines during his time. The 19 th century was the
a century of violent blow of the winds in history, most particularly in Asia, Europe in
America. It was a rigid pour of events that emanated beyond one`s control like sea tide
that ruthlessly inflicted in human lives and fortunes of mankind.

On June 19, 1861, Rizal was born, as the titanic chaos exploded on April, 12,
1861, which resulted into the American Civil war. (1861-18650 that raged indignantly

In the United States over the issue of Negro Slavery compelling President Abraham
Lincoln to proclaim the Emancipation of Negro slaves in Sept. 22,1862

Rizal time was deemed to be the height of the maladministration of Spain andits
decay that obscured the Philippine skies The Filipino people suffered intensely beneath
the bondage of Spanish misrule for they were ill-fated victims of the evils,
injustice.prejudies and sudden collapse of colonial power. Among these baneful features
were the following:

1. Instability of Colonial Administration

2. Corrupt Spanish Officials
3. No Philippine Representation to the Spanish Courts
4. Human Rights Denied to the Filipinos
5. No Equality Before the Law
6. Maladministration of Justice
7. Racial Discrimination
8. Frailocracy and Secularization of Filipino Priests
9. Force Labor and Excessive Taxes
10. Haciendas Owned by Friars and Spanish Officials
11. The Abuses of Guardia Civil, Church Officials and Political Leaders

Dr. Jose Rizal`s writings summarize his nationalistic and patriotic philosophy as well
as his keen sense of awareness of the Filipino people`s need for nation building.

A tribute to a man and hero should be our rationale, because we believe that Dr. Jose
Rizal was an exponent of the roots of our nationhood.

The framers of the Rizal Law envisioned that by studying his life, dissecting his
teachings and literary works, the youth may gain inspiration and might personally involve
them in nation-building.

Dr. Jose P. Rizal was Chosen as the Greatest Philippine National Hero

“ I die, without seeing the Day dawning on my country… You will see it, greet
it..and forget not those who fell during the night…

Dr. Jose P. Rizal

A hero is a person admired for achievements and nole qualities and a prominent
or central personage taking an admirable action. Also, a person of distinguished valor or
enterprise in danger and an individual honored after death by public worship because of
laudable and exceptional service to mankind.

The difference between hero and martyr is that hero is a real person of great
bravery who carries out extra ordinary deeds while martyr is one who willingly accepts
being put to death for adhering openly to one`s religious beliefs; notably saints canonized
after martyrdom.

Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Y Alonzo Realonda was a man of many talents.
The Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo provided the ember that awakened Filipino
nationalism and paved the way for the Philippine Revolution of 1896. He proved that the
“Pen is mightier than the Sword” to redeem a people from their political slavery.

The Americans, particularly Civil Governor William Howard Taft being the
Chairman of the Philippine Commission addressed Messrs. Pardo De Tavera, Legarda,
Gregoruo Araneta, Cayetano Arellano the choosing of the Philippine National Hero.
Among the nominated names were Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Gen. Antonio Luna, Gregorio
Lopez Jaena, Emilio Jacinto and Jose Rizal.
 Dr. Otley Beyer, an anthropologist and technical member of the panel of the
Philippine Commission recommended the following criteria in choosing the national
hero.

1. The person must be a Filipino.The person is a peace-loving and pacifist.

2. The person must have a great sense of patritiosm.
3. The person must have die for the country as a martyr.

Reason why Rizal was choosen and declared as the Philippine`s National Hero.

1. He was the first Filipino to unite and awaken the Filipino people to peacefully
rise for independence.
2. 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.
3. He was a martyr at Bagumbayan where he willingly die for our country.

Other Countries Choose Their National Hero

The heroes of occidental nations are warriors and generals who served their cause
with the sword, distilling blood and tears. The hero of the Filipinos served his cause with
the pen.

Other countries chose their national heroes who were soldier-generals, who
fought for the country`s liberty and independence in the battlefield with their mighty
“sword”.

Among them were George Washington of USA, Joan of Arc of France, Simon
Bolivar of Venezuela, Jose De San Martin of Argentina, Jimmo Tenno of Japan and
others.

In comparison, Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero was a pacifist and a
civilian who served his cause with the penthrough which his writings had awakened
Filipino nationalism and paved the way for the Philippine Revolution.

What other great men said about the pen and sword. Napoleon I who was a great
conqueror and ruler said, “ There are only two powers in the world, the sword and pen;
and in the end the former is always conquered by the latter.”

Sir Thomas Browne said, “Scholars are men of peace; they bear no arms, but their
tongues are sharper than the sword. Their pens carry further and give louder report than
thunder, I rather stand in the shock of a basilisk than in the fury of a merciless pen”.
 What is most admirable in Rizal according to Rafael Palma:

“Is his complete self-denial, his complete abandonment of his personal interest in
order to think only of those of his country. He could have been whatever he wished to be,
considering his natural endowments, he could have earned considerable sum of money
from his profession, he could have lived relatively rich, happy, prosperous, had he not
dedicated dedicated himself to public matters. He preferred to live far from his family
and to sacrifice his personal affection for an ideal he had dreamed of following his
conscience. He did not have great means at his disposal to carry out his campaign; He
contented himself with what he had. He suffered the cold winter of Europe, hunger,
privation and misery but when he raised his eyes to heaven and saw ideals, his hope was
reborn, he soon felt, comforted and resumed the task of bearing the cross of his suffering.

Honors Accorded to Rizal as the Philippine National Hero

1. The day of his birth and day of his execution are fittingly commemorated by all
classes of people throughout the country and other Filipinos abroad.
2. No other Filipino hero can surpass Rizal in the number of monuments erected in his
honor, in towns, barrios, and schools.
3. His name is a by-word in every home and his picture is printed and used in postage
stamps.
4. The paper money/coins with his image have the widest circulation that he poorest of
the poor can take hold.
5. Streets, boulevards, educational institutions and persons were named ‘Rizal’.
6. His noble thoughts and teachings had been frequently invoked and quoted by
speakers.
7. The union of Manila and Morong to be a province was named after the illustrious
Filipino hero thus the Rizal province was established.

IV. Activity/Assessment:

1. Explain the reason why Dr. Jose Rizal was chosen and declared as the
Philippine National Hero.
2. Identify and explain briefly at least four (4) virtues of Rizal that you should
possess as a student.
3. “Pen is mightier than the sword”: Explain the message briefly.
4. Why is there a need to study the life of Dr. Jose P. Rizal?