Rizal’s Life in 19 Century

th
 • What is the main reason why do
we have the life and works of
Rizal as part of the required
General Education Course in
Recap Higher Education Unit?

• What are the end goals of the

subject?
 RA 1425
Rizal Law
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
 Objectives
• re-dedication to the ideals of freedom
and nationalism for which our heroes
lived and died
RA 1425 • constant and inspiring source of
patriotism with which the minds of the

Rizal Law youth

• develop moral character, personal
discipline, civic conscience and to
teach the duties of citizenship
Theories of the
Origin of the • Divine Right Theory
• Social Contract Theory
Government
 DIVINE RIGHT THEORY
• This means that the state is created by
God. Similar with the kingdoms of
ancient civilization and Middle Ages,
the rulers were not chosen by the
people to rule but mandated by their
God to govern. Thus, what God has
ordained let no man challenge.

• Opposition to the ruler is both treason

and a mortal sin

• Justifies absolute monarchy

SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY
• It attributes the origin of the state to
the consensual understanding of the
people to create their government for
the common good. Since the people
deliberately established their
government, they have the right to
revolt against a bad ruler.

• Rulers have the obligation to look after

the general welfare, the people have the
obligation to support their rulers
Political Theorists and their theories
on 19 Century
th
Locke and Rousseau espoused the theory that God endowed man
with natural rights such as right to life, liberty and property, and
by entering into a social contract, man formed a civil society to
protect his rights

John Locke Jean Jacques Rosseau

 When governance is oppressive it is the
right of the people to overthrow such a
government

John Locke Jean Jacques Rosseau

 Mikhail Bakunin

Bakunin hated all forms of authority

Karl Marx /Friedrich Engels

share the theory that as progress takes place, conflicts are

inevitable

destruction of something old to create something

new
VOLTAIRE
“Pen is Mightier than the sword”
World Events that opened the minds
of the people
- Opening of the Suez Canal
in 1869 allowed liberal ideas
to flow into the archipelago
England
was the
leading
world
power
Japan opened its doors to the Western
world after 214 years of isolation
In the second half of the 19th century , ilustrados started the
Propaganda movement. They exposed the social ills in the
Phils and struggled to gain freedom for the Filipinos
19 Century Development in Philippines
th
 • Economic Development

• Political Development
Developments • Cultural Development

• Religious Development
 • Agricultural Products
- Rice from Central Luzon and
Sugar from Panay and Negros
- Rise of Hacienderos
Economic
Development
 • Rizal’s Chinese Ancestor,
Domingo Lam-co had a big
parcel of land for agricultural
business
Economic • The Rizal Family rented 390
Development hectares of land in Calamba
• Only the rich can own the land,
others are renting it or toiling on
it (agrarian problems)
 • Rizal was able to point out the
corruption of taxes where it was
not used for public
developments
Political Developments • The liberal Spaniards was able
to replace conservative ones
 • The return of Jesuits (return of
liberal education) (Ateneo
Municipal)
• Education was the societal
equalizer that led to the rise of
Cultural Developments illustrados
• European’s curiosity on
Philippine’s history
 • Blumentritt wrote extensively
about the Philippines, although
he never visited the islands,
corresponding with the then
Jose Rizal.

Ferdinand Blumentritt
 • Blumentritt became one of Rizal's
closest confidants although they met
only once. He translated a chapter of
the latter's first book, Noli Me
Tangere, into German and wrote the
preface to Rizal's second book, El
filibusterismo, although he was
against its publication as he believed
that it would lead to Rizal's death.

Ferdinand Blumentritt
 • The growth of education
resulted to anti-friar, anti
clerical or being an anti-catholic
• The liberal Spaniards were anti-
Religious Developments clerical as well
Social Stratification in 19 Century
th
 Social Stratification
Sociologists use the term social stratification to describe the system of
social standing. Social stratification refers to a society’s categorization
of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like
wealth, income, race, education, and power
 1st Rank - PENINSULAR

• Pure Blooded Spaniard born in Span

and Portugal
• Spaniards who took roles in Philippines
 2nd Rank - INSULAR

• Full blooded Spaniards who are born in

the Philippines
• enjoy various government and church
positions but as economics and power
shifted, they changed to capitalist
driven entrepreneurs owning large
parcels of lands.
 3rd Rank - Mestizo

• Filipinos of mixed indigenous trait with

European or Chinese ancestry
• Our illustrados are Mestizos
• They have the capacity to own small
parcel of land and study
 4th Rank - Principalia

• Filipino District Leaders

(Gobernadorcillo, Cabeza de
Barangay_
• Exempted from forced labor
 4th Rank - Indios

• Pure blooded native of the Philippines

 5th Rank – Chino Infiel

• Pure blooded Chinese

• Did not embrace catholic faith
• Worked as laborers, traders
Life and Works of Rizal
 Heroism? Deity?
Chickboy?

Why are we here studying the

Genius?
Worth Emanating?
life and work of Rizal?

Because we are
paying for it?
Ultimate Sacrifice?
Patriotism?
Life Model?
 RA 1425
Rizal Law
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
 Something to think about
Rizal Law
• Considering the context of 1950s, what issues and interests were at stake in the
debate over the Rizal bill? Do these issues remain pertinent to the present?

• Identify the difference between the original bill (Recto) and Laurel’s version.
Was RA 1425 a face saving compromise or victory for the Catholic Church?

• Why do you think the Catholic hierarchy in the 1950s was very apprehensive
about students’ reading Rizal’s novels
 Objectives
• re-dedication to the ideals of freedom
and nationalism for which our heroes
lived and died
RA 1425 • constant and inspiring source of
patriotism with which the minds of the

Rizal Law youth

• develop moral character, personal
discipline, civic conscience and to
teach the duties of citizenship
 Objectives
• re-dedication to the ideals of freedom
and nationalism for which our heroes
lived and died
RA 1425 • constant and inspiring source of
patriotism with which the minds of the

Rizal Law youth

• develop moral character, personal
discipline, civic conscience and to
teach the duties of citizenship
 Objectives

• Senate Bill 438 is an act to make Noli Me

Tangere and El Filibusterismo compulsory

RA 1425 reading matter in all public and private

colleges and universities and for other
purposes

Rizal Law • hopes to give people knowledge about the

oppression suffered by the Filipinos during
the Spanish era.

• for Filipinos to understand themselves and

their country better and realize the greatness
of Rizal.
CLARO M. RECTO
The author of RA 1425
Do you know that there’s a
lot of issue before the
proposal became a law?
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.
Mariano Jesús Cuenco
Voted against RA 1425
• Compulsory reading of something against one’s
conviction was impairment of both freedom of
speech and religion
• A measure to discredit their religion
• Novels contained views inimical to the tenets of
their faith.
Mariano Jesús Cuenco
Voted against RA 1425
• Destroys the sanctity of
freedom of conscience and
religion
• They argued that the novels Contention of Catholic
belonged to the past and that Church against RA 1425
teaching them would
misrepresent current
conditions
• "endanger their salvation"
• The novels belong to the past
• It would be harmful to read the novels because they presented
false picture of conditions of the country at that time
• Noli is an attack on the clergy, aims to ridicule the Catholic faith
• The novel was not patriotic because out of 333 pages only 25
contained patriotic passages while 120 were devoted to anti-
Catholic attacks

Fr Jesus Cavanna
One of the Biggest Critic of
RA 1425
• Denied the existence of
purgatory
• ridiculing or putting in doubt
dogmas of the Catholic Rizal’s idea about the
Church (such as indulgence) Catholic Church
• Participation of Church in the
decision making of state
 There was a threat coming from Catholic Schools that
they will be closing down their schools if the law will be
passed
Rizal inculcated civic consciousness among Filipinos,
national dignity, patriotism and personal pride

Claro Recto
Author of RA 1425
 "The people who would
eliminate the books of Rizal
from the schools would
blot out from our minds the
memory of the national
hero. This is not a fight
against Recto but a fight
against Rizal"
CLARO M. RECTO
 Objectives
• re-dedication to the ideals of freedom
and nationalism for which our heroes
lived and died
RA 1425 • constant and inspiring source of
patriotism with which the minds of the

Rizal Law youth

• develop moral character, personal
discipline, civic conscience and to
teach the duties of citizenship
R.A. 1425 is an act to include in the Curricula of all public and
private schools, colleges & universities courses on the life,
works and writings of Dr. Jose Rizal

It was signed into law by Ramon Magsaysay on June 12,

1956
 There is a need to give utmost importance to the ideals of
FREEDOM, NATIONALISM & PATRIOTISM through
an understanding of the works & life of Rizal
 There is a need to give utmost importance to the ideals of
FREEDOM, NATIONALISM & PATRIOTISM through
an understanding of the works & life of Rizal
 Inclusion in the curricula studies on the life &
works of Rizal

Reading of the unexpurgated versions of Noli

Me Tangere & El Filibusterismo
What the Schools should have adequate copies of Rizal’s
works

law The law authorizes the translation of Noli & Fili

imposes? While the teaching of Rizal as a subject is

required, the doctrine of separation of the church
& state is upheld.
I am writing for the generation of Filipinos yet to come, a
generation that will be enlightened and educated, a
generation that will read my books and appreciate them
without condemning me as a heretic.

-JRizal