RIZAL LAW (R.A NO.
1425)  To recognize the relevance of Rizal’s ideals,
-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 suffused;
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,
History of Rizal Law
Senate Bill 438, known as Rizal Law, Authored
by Senator Claro M. Recto. Is Considered as one
of the most controversial bills in the Philippines.
When was that Rizal Law approved?
June 12, 1956
 To rededicate the lives of the youth to ideals
of freedom and nationalism.
 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
through the study of Rizal’s life, works, and
writings.
thoughts, teachings, and life values to
present conditions in the community. To
apply Rizal’s ideas in the solution of day-to-
day situations and problems in
contemporary life.
 To develop an understanding and
appreciation of the qualities, behavior, and
character of Rizal.
 To foster the development of moral
character, personal discipline, citizenship,
and vocational efficiency among the Filipino
youth
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.
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.
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
SENATORS WHO AGREED LAW
 Senators LorensoTanada,
 Quintin Paredes and
 Domocao Alonto of Mindanao
SENATORS WHO OPPOSED RIZAL LAW
 Senators Francisco Rodrigo
 Mariano J. Cuenco
 Decoroso Rosales
What Makes it Controversial?
This issue is not welcome in various quarters. The
catholic church opposed the Rizal Law because
given the fact that Rizal Law has a book which is
about the El Felibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere
which contained a passage that is anti-church.
According to the church, it violates the freedom
of religion. And according to Father Cavanagh
out of 333 pages in Noli Me Tangere only 25
pages are patriotic statements so 120 pages are
anti- catholic statements.
Rizal’s Life
a. Family
b. Childhood
c. Early Education
d. The Young Rizal in his Diary
“Memorias
A. FAMILY
The Rizal Family belonged to the
“Principalia” aristocratic town of
distinguished families.
The family was able to live well by the dint
of honest and hard work and frugal living.
They get their living from the farms, which
were rented from the Dominican Order, they
harvested rice, corn, and sugarcane. They
raised pigs, chickens, and turkeys in their
backyard.
 Doña Teodora, Rizal’s mother managed a
general goods store and operated a small
flour mill and a home-made ham press.
 They owned a carriage, which was a status
symbol of the Ilustrados in Spanish
Philippines, and a private library (the largest
in Calamba) which consisted of more than
1,000 volumes.
 The Rizal family had a simple, contented,
and happy life. Don Francisco and Doña
Teodora loved their children, but they never
spoiled them.
 They were strict parents and trained their
children to love God, behave well, be
obedient, and respect people, especially the
old folks.
 They give their children a sound spanking
whenever they (children) get into mischief.
They believed in the maxim: “Spare the rod
and spoil the child.
 Jose Rizal was born on June 19, 1861, in the
town of Calamba, province of Laguna, then
a town with three to four thousand
inhabitants, is located 54 kilometers south of
Manila.
 Dr. Jose Rizal. The newborn was given the
full name JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL
MERCADO Y ALONSO REALONDA, He
was the seventh child of the eleven children
of Don Francisco and Doña Teodora.
Meaning of Name
JOSE -Chosen by his mother who was a devotee of
the Christian Saint San Jose (St. Joseph – Patron
Saint of workers).
PROTACIO –Saint Gervacio Protacio, whose feast
is celebrated every June 19
RIZAL -(Ricial – Greenfield ) Is the surname
adapted by the Mercados during the 1940’s because
of the Claveria Decree
MERCADO -Given to Jose’s great-grandfather by
their great-great-grandfather Domingo Lamco 1731
– meaning market
Y- and
ALONSO- The middle name of his mother
REALONDA- Is the surname adapted by the
Alonsos during the 1940’s because of the Claveria
Decree
 On June 22, 1861, at the age of three days
old, Jose Rizal was baptized in the Catholic
church of his town with Father Rufino
Collantes, the parish priest who baptized the
young hero, a Batangueño and Father Pedro
Casañas who was the godfather (Ninong) of
Rizal, native of Calamba and close friend of
his family. During the christening ceremony,
Father Collantes advised the Rizal family,
“Take good care of this child, for someday
he will become a great man.”
Don Francisco Mercado Rizal
 Born in Biñan, Laguna, on May 11, 1818.
 “Cabeza de barangay" (head of town.)
 Studied Latin and Philosophy College of
San Jose in Manila
 After the death of their parents, he moved to
Calamba and became a tenant farmer of the
Dominican-owned hacienda.
 On January 5, 1898, he died in Manila at the
age of 80.
 Jose describes him as “A model of fathers.”
“My father was a model of fathers had given us an
education commensurate with small fortune; and
through thrift he was able to build a stone, house;
erect a little nipa house in the middle of our
orchard under the shade of some trees and others.”
Doña Teodora Alonso Y Realonda
 Born in Meisik, Sta. Cruz, Manila on
November 8, 1826.
 Studied at Colegio de Sta. Rosa in Manila.
 Died in Manila on August 19, 1911, at the
age of 85.
 A woman of refined culture and character,
with exemplary literary talents, the fortitude
of a Spartan Woman, and wit business
ability.
“My mother is a woman more than ordinary
culture; she knows literature and speaks Spanish
better than I. She even corrected my poems and
gave me wise advice when I was studying rhetoric.
She is a mathematician and has read many books.”
THE RIZAL SIBLINGS
SATURNINA RIZAL
 The eldest child of the Rizal children born in
1850.
 “Neneng” – nickname
 Married to Manuel T. Hidalgo
 She published Pascula Poblete’s Tagalog
translation of Noli Me Tangere
PACIANO RIZAL
 “Lolo Ciano"
 Closest brother of Jose born in 1851.
 Confidant of Jose Rizal and he convinced
the young hero to study in Europe without
their parents’ permission.
 Joined the Philippine Revolution and
became a combat general in 1900’s.
 Died on April 13, 1930, an old bachelor
aged 79.
  He had two children by his mistress
(Severina Decena)
NARCISA RIZAL
 Born in 1852 and nicknamed as “Sisa.”
 Married to Antonio Lopez (nephew of
Father Leoncio Lopez).
 Musician and educator of Pueblo de Morong
(former name of Rizal Province).
 Can recite from memory most of Jose’s
poems.
OLIMPIA RIZAL
 Born in 1855. Her nickname was “Ypia”
 Married to Silvestre Ubaldo, a telegraph
operator from Manila.
 She died while giving birth in 1887.
LUCIA RIZAL
 Born in 1857.
 Married to Mariano Herbosa of Calamba.
Their children were Delfina, the first wife of
General Salvador Natividad who helped
Marcela Agoncillo make the first Philippine
flag in Hong Kong.
 Herbosa died of cholera and was denied
Christian burial being the brother-in-law of
Jose Rizal
MARIA RIZAL
 Born in 1859, given the nickname “Biang.”
 She married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Biñan,
Laguna, and was blessed with 5 children.
 Mauricio Cruz, one of Maria's children
became a student of Jose Rizal in Dapitan
and was known to be one of his uncle’s
favorites.
JOSE RIZAL
 Born on June 19, 1861
 Pepe – nickname
 During his exile in Dapitan, he lived with
Josephine Bracken, an Irish girl from Hong
Kong; had a son with her, but this baby boy
died a few hours after birth; Jose named him
“Francisco” after his father and buried him
in Dapitan.
 He was executed by the Spaniards on
December 30, 1896
CONCEPCION RIZAL
 Born in 1862
 Concha – nickname
 At the age of three, she died of sickness and
her death was Rizal’s first sorrow in life.
JOSEFA RIZAL
 Born in 1865
 Panggoy – nickname
 Remained single until she died in 1951 at
the age of 83.
 Josefa was said to have suffered from
epilepsy
TRINIDAD RIZAL
 Born in 1868
 Her nickname was “Trining” She was the
last of the Rizal children to survive and died
as spinster too at the age of 83. She also
became a member of the Katipunan and she
was the caretaker of “Mi Ultimo Adios”
 Trinidad was the one who received an
alcohol lamp from Brother Jose, in which he
secretly hid the "Last Farewell" better
known as "Mi Ultimo Adios," a poem Rizal
wrote on the eve of his death in 1896
SOLEDAD RIZAL
 Also called 'Choleng
 was the youngest child of the Rizal family.
 Being a teacher, she was arguably the best
educated among Rizal's sisters
B. CHILDHOOD
THE TOWN THAT INSPIRES A HERO
 Calamba was located amid a rich
agricultural region in Laguna, the lake
province of Luzon, famed for coconut in the
hillsides and sugar cane in the valleys. It is
enclosed between the vast Laguna de Bay
and the enchanted Mt. Makiling. It endowed
the area with breathtaking landscapes and
comforting nature that tenderly fondles the
townsfolk from dawn to twilight
 The Dominican friars virtually owned the
town of Calamba and its haciendas at the
time, hence, non-Spanish families were only
renting the lands they tilled and were subject
to pay taxes, mostly excessive in money or
kind
 The system known as the encomienda that
left people very vulnerable to cruelty and
discrimination from the Dominican friars.
Despite those cruelties, Calamba still offered
opportunities. Rizal himself wrote a poem
reminiscing his happy moments in the town
of Calamba, entitled “Un Recuerdo A Mi
Pueblo” (In Memory of My Town).
 The house of the Rizal family was one of the
most distinguished in Calamba during
Spanish times. It was a two-storey building,
rectangular in shape, built of adobe stones
and hardwoods, and roofed with red tiles.
MANY SPLENDID TALENTS
 At 5 years old – he began to draw with his
pencil without any assistance
 Uncle Jose Alberto – a fine artist, helped
him develop his innate gift for arts
 Uncle Gregorio – a tireless reader, lectured
his foundation of success and Profound logic
 Uncle Manuel – a sport and fitness
enthusiast, helped him develop his frail
Body by way of athletic drills, martial arts,
and physical exercises
C. EARLY EDUCATION
 Doña Teodora – Rizal’s first teacher
 At the age of 3, he learned the alphabet and
the prayers
TUTORS OF RIZAL
 Maestro Celestino- First tutor
 Maestro Lucas Padua- Second Tutor
 Leon Monroy – a former classmate of his
Father
 Maestro Justiano Aquino Cruz – first formal
teacher of Rizal in Biñan, Laguna (1869-
1871) at the age of 9
FIRST SCHOOL BRAWL
 June 1869 – Paciano accompanied Pepe to
Binan to continue his studies.
 Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz – Paciano’s
former teacher and a disciplinarian.
 The school was made of Nipa and dubbed
the house of the Maestro
SCHOOLING AT ATENEO
 On June 10, 1872, Jose accompanied by
Paciano went to Manila. He took entrance
examinations on Christian doctrine,
arithmetic, and Reading at the College of
San Juan de Letran, and passed them.
 He returned to Calamba to stay a few days
with his family and to attend the town fiesta.
 His father, who first wished him to study at
Letran changed his mind and decided to
send him to Ateneo.
 Upon his return to Manila, accompanied
again by Paciano and matriculated at the
Ateneo de Municipal.
 Father Magin Ferrando – the college
registrar who first refused Rizal
Reasons:
1. He was late for registration.
2. He was sickly and undersize for his age
 However, upon the intercession of Manuel
Xerez Burgos, nephew of Father Burgos, he
was admitted.
 registered as Jose Rizal
 His college was located in Intramuros,
within the walls of Manila.
 He boarded in a house outside Intramuros,
on Caraballo Street, 25 minutes walk from
the college. The boarding house was owned
by a spinster named Titay who owed the
Rizal (Mercado) family an amount of P300.
 1st Year in Ateneo (1872-1873)
 Fr. Jose Bech – first professor of Jose
Jesuit System of Education
 “Roman Empire” (Interno - Boarders) and
 “Carthaginian Empire” (Externo - Non-
Boarders)
 Emperor
 Tribune
 Decurion
 Centurion
 Standard bearer
 The system of education given by the Jesuits
at the Ateneo is advanced from other
colleges.
 Rigid discipline, religious instruction,
physical features, fine arts and scientific
studies are promoted.
 Student heard mass in the morning. Class is
opened and closed with prayers.
 Students are divided into two groups and
students fight for position.
 (1) Roman empire consisting of the internos
(boarder) (2) Carthaginian empire
consisting of the externos (non-boarder).
 Each of these empires has its rank. Best
student (emperor), second Best (tribune),
third best(Decurion), fourth best (centurion),
and fifth best (standard bearer).
 A student could challenge any officer in his
empire, his opponent could lose his position
if he committed three mistake
2nd Year in Ateneo (1872-1873)
 Nothing unusual happened during his
second year, except that he repented having
neglected his studies in the previous year
because he was offended by the teacher’s
remarks. So he studied harder and gained
emperorship.
 Some of his classmates are new. Among
them were 3 boys from Biñan, who had been
his classmates.
 At the end of the term, he received excellent
grades and a gold medal.
 He undergoes private tutoring for Spanish
lessons. P3 payment
3rd Year in Ateneo (1874-1875)
 His mother was set free.
 He did not make an excellent showing in
his studies. His grades remained excellent in
all subjects, but he only won gold medal in
Latin.
 He failed in Spanish because his spoken
Spanish was not fluently sonorous.
 He was beaten by a Spaniard, but naturally,
could speak Spanish with fluency and with
right accentuation
4th Year in Ateneo (1875-1876)
 On June 16, 1875, he became an interno in
Ateneo.
 Fr. Francisco de Paula de Sanchez - a great
educator and scholar. Inspired Rizal to
 study harder and write poetry. Jose
considered him as his best professor in
Ateneo.
Last Year in Ateneo (1876-1877)
 He excelled in all subjects.
 The most brilliant Atenean of his time, he
was truly “the pride of the Jesuits”
 He finished his last year at the Ateneo in a
blaze history.
 March 23, 1877 – received his degree of
Bachelor of Art with honors
Rizal at UST
 Being a child of a family of landowners,
Jose Rizal decided to study for a degree in
Land Surveying and Assessment at Ateneo
Municipal de Manila and graduated on
March 23, 1877, with honors or
sobresaliente. (Excellent)
 In 1878, he pursued his passion for arts as he
enrolled at the Faculty of Arts and Letters
for a degree in Philosophy at the University
of Santo Tomas.
 He also enrolled Medicine major in
ophthalmology with the intention and desire
to cure his mother’s failing eyesight.