Rizal Law

(R.A 1425)
Author: Claro M. Recto
Sponsored the
Bill in the
Senate: Jose P. Laurel
Signed: June 12, 1956
Prepared By:

RONALDO D. MANGLO (L.P.T, MAED)

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Full name of the Law
An act to include in the curricula of all public and private
schools, colleges and universities courses on the life, works
and writtings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Felibusterismo, authorizing the printing and
distribution thereof and for other purposes.

Rizal Law R.A 1425

- Mandates all educational institutions in the Philippines to
offer courses about Jose Rizal.
 3

Important points from R.A 1425

 Re- dedication of the ideals of freedom and nationalism.
 Honoring the national hero and patriot, Jose Rizal-
remember with special fondness and devotion the lives and
works that have shape the national character.
 Life, works and writtings of Jose Rizal particularly his
novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, should be a
constant and inspiring source of patriotism
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RIZAL LAW - R.A 1425
Section 1:
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
-shall be included in the curricula of all schools, colleges and
universities, public or private.

-In the collegiate courses, the original or unexpurgated editions

of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo shall be used as
basic texts.
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RIZAL LAW - R.A 1425
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 expurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo.

 Also Rizal’s other works and biography.

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RIZAL LAW - R.A 1425
Section 2:

The said unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El

Felibusterismo or their translations in english as well as other
writtings of Rizal shall be included in the list of approved
books for required reading in all public or private schools,
colleges and universities.

All schools, colleges and universities are obligated to have

adequate number of copies of Rizal’s two novels and his other
literacy pieces.
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RIZAL LAW - R.A 1425
Section 3:
The National Board of Education is assigned to translate
Rizal’s writtings into English, Tagalog and other principal
Philippine dialects.

cause them to be printed in cheap, popular editions

cause them to be distributed, free of change, to persons

desiring to read them through the Purok organizations and the
Barrio Councils throughout the country.
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RIZAL LAW - R.A 1425
Section 4:
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amendment or
repealing section nine hundred twenty-seven of the
Administrative Code

Prohibits the discussion of religious doctrine by public school

teachers and other person engaged in any public school
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RIZAL LAW - R.A 1425
Section 5:

A fine of three hundred pesos is issued if the act was violated

 ER O
F A H
PT O
C E
C ON
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The concepts of “hero” and “heroism” seem to

have existed in all cultures on earth, in many
forms and varities.

The word itself has probably appeared first in

ancient Greece, where it was combined in the
name of one of the greatest heroes of all times:
“HERACLES’
 11
Ancient Greece

One of the most famous Greek heroes was the

Athenians Theseus, who sailed from his city to
crete to fight against the Minotaur and save his
young countrymen and women, who were
supposed to be sacrificed to a monster.
 12

The three main characteristic of heroism:

1.They performed outstanding deeds

2.They risked their very being for the sake of
others rather than for their own glory
3.They were all victim.
Rizal as a hero 13

1. Performed outstanding deeds

- used the pen to fight
2. Risked his very being for the sake of his
countrymen
- he waged a non – violent crusade against
the oppresors of his countrymen
3. He is a victim
- suffered political martyrdom
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WAS RIZAL AN
AMERICAN
SPONSORED
HERO?
 15

The Spaniards, the Filipinos and the Americans raised Rizal

to the rank of supremacy among our heroes.

- thus Rizal’s life, works and martyrdom raised

him to the highest place in the pantheon of
our revolutionary heroes.
 16

His supremacy was acknowledge by his

contemporaries (Aguinaldo, Bonifacio,etc)

- Spanish writers acknowledge his fame

- American colonial legislators who
came to admire our people through his
history acknowledge him as well
 17

Its simply not true that there was ever any

colonialist’s meeting or plot to impose Rizal
as the National Hero of the Philippines.

The decision to honor him in this way was

made by the Filipinos, for the Filipinos.
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WHO MADE
RIZAL OUR
FOREMOST
NATIONAL
HERO AND
WHY?
1.The doctrines of Rizal are not for one epoch but for18
all epochs. They were yesterday. It cannot be said that
because the political ideals of Rizal have been
achieved, because of the change in the institutions,
the wisdom of his counsels or the value of his
doctrines have ceased to be opportune. They have
not”

2. As a towering figure in the Propaganda Campaign,

he took an “admirable part” in that movement which
roughly covered the period from 1882-1896.
3. Blumentritt, after reading Rizal’s Noli, 19

wrote and congratulated its author, saying

among other things “Your work, as we
Germans say, has been written w/ the blood of
the heart...

4. If Rizal’s friend and admirers praised w/

justifiable pride the Noli and Its author, his
enemies were equally loud and bitter in
attacking and condeming the same.
5. The proponents and opponents of the Rizal Law 20
engaged themselves in a bitter and long drawn – out
debate the finally resulted in the enactment of a
compromise measure, now known as RA 1425.

6. Cong. Henry Allen Cooper of Wisconsin delivered

an eulogy of Rizal and even recited the martyrs
Ultimo Pensamiento on the floor of the U.S House of
Representatives in order to prove the capacity of the
Filipinos for self – government.
7. No Filipinos has yet been born who could equal or 21
surpass Rizal as a “person of distinguished valor/
enterprise in danger, fortitude in suffering”

8. Dr. Frank C. Laubach, an American biographer of

Rizal, spoke of the hero’s great courage.

9. To the bigoted Spaniards in Spain and in the

Philippines, Rizal was the most intelligent, most
courageous, and most dangerous enemy of the
reactionaries and tyrants
 22
10. Fernando Acevedo, who called Rizal his
distinguido amigo, compañero y paisano”
wrote the letter from Zaragoza Spain, on 25
Oct 1889: “I see in you the model Filipino;
your application to study and you talents have
placed on a height which I revere and admire”

11. The Bicolano Dr. Tomas Arejola wrote

Rizal in Madrid, 9 Feb 1891, saying “Your
moral influence over us is indisputable”
12. Guillermo Puato of Bulacan wrote this tribute to 23
Rizal:

Among the foreigners who recognized Rizal as the

leading Filipino of his time were Blumentritt,
Napoleon M. Kheil, Dr. Rheinhold Rost , and Vicente
Barrantes, Prof. Blumentritt told Dr. Maximo Viola in
May 1887 that “Rizal was the greatest product of the
Philippine and that his coming to the world was like
the appearance of a rare comet, whose rare brilliance
appears only every other century”
 24

13. Even before the outbreak of the revolution against

Spain in 1896, many instances can be cited to prove
that his country here and abroad recognized Rizal’s
leadership. In the early part of 1899 he was
unanimously elected by the Filipinos in Barcelona
and Madrid as honorary pres. Of la Solidaridad.

14. In the early part of 1899 he was unanimously

elected by the Filipinos in Barcelona and Madrid as
honorary pres.
 25

15. In Paris, he organized and became chief of

the Indios Bravos. In January 1891, Rizal was
again unanimously choosen Responsable
(chief) of the Spanish – Filipino Association.

16. He was also the founder and moving spirit

in the founding of la Liga Filipina on Manila
in 3 Jul 1892.
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17. A year after Rizal’s execution, Gen. Emilio

Aguinaldo and the other revolutionary chiefs exiled to
Hongkong held a commemorative program there on
29 Dec. 1897 on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of
the hero’s execution and martyrdom.

18. Of utmost significance in the public appreciation

for Rizal’s patriotic labors in behalf of his people
were the tributes paid by the revolutionary
government to his memory.
 27

19. On 30 Dec. 1898 at the revolutionary capital of

Malolos, Pres. Aguinaldo issued the 1st official
proclamation making Dec. Of that year as “Rizal
Day”

20. It should be further noted that both the La

Independencia, edited by Gen. Antonio Luna and the
El Heraldo de la Revolucion, official organ of the
revolutionary government, issued a special
supplement in honor of Rizal in one of their
December issues in 1898.
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21. Cecilio Apostol, on 30 Dec of the same year, wrote

these lines:

“Dueme en paz las sombras de la nada,

Redentor de una Patria esclavizada!
!No llores de la tumba en el misterio
Del español el triunfo momentaneo:
Que si Una bala destrozo tu craneo,
Tambien tu idea destrozo un emperio!
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22. The Filipinos were not alone in greiving the untimely death
of their hero and idol, for the intellectual and scientific circles
of the world felt keenly the loss of Rizal, who was their
esteemed colleague and friend.

23. Among the scientific neurological services held especially

to honor Rizal, the one sponsored by the Anthropological
Society of Berlin in 20 Nov. 1897 at the initiative of Dr.
Rudolf Virchow, its president, was the most important and
significant. Dr. Ed Seler recited the German translation of
Rizal’s “My Last Farewell” on that occasion
 30

24. The newspapers, magazines, and other

periodicals throughout the civilized world in
Germany, Austria, France, Holland, London,
the US, Japan, Hongkong and Macao,
Singapore, Switzerland, and in Latin American
countries published accounts of Rizal’s
martyrdom in order to render homage to his
greatness.
 31

25. Beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Great

Malayan, by his own efforts and sacrifices for his
oppressed counrtymen, had projected himself as
the foremost leader of the Philippines until the
moment of his immolation

26. The idea of naming the distinct of Morong

after Rizal came from Dr. Pardo de Tavera, a
Filipino, and not from Judge Taft, an American.
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27. Granting that Taft commision chose Rizal

out of several great Filipinos as the No. 1 hero
of his people, still we can say that what the
commision did was merely to confirm a sort of
fait accompli, and that was Jose Rizal had
already been acclaimed by his countrymen and
the scientific world as the foremost hero and
martyr of the land of his birth.
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28. William Cameron Forbes, an ardent

admirer of Rizal and the governor-general of
the Philippines during the construction of the
Rizal Mausoleum on the Luneta, is appropriate
at the piont of acknowledging Rizal as national
hero through placing his picture on the postage
stamp and currency, naming Land marks after
him etc.
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29. While the foremost national heroes of other

countries are soldier-generals, like George
Washington of US, Napoleon I and Joan of Arc
of France, simon Bolivar of Venenzuela, Jose
de San Martin of Argentina, Bernardo O
‘Higgins of Chile, Jimmu Tenno of Japan, etc
our greatest hero was a pacifist and a civilian
whose weapon was his quill.
 35

30. Great men said about the pen being mightier and
more powerful than the sword. Napoleon I himself,
who was a great conqueror and ruler, said: There are
only two powers in the world; the sword and the pen;
and in the end the former is always conquered by the
latter”

31. The Austrian savant Prof. Blumentritt judged him

as “the most prominent man of his own people” and
the greatest man the Malayan race has produced”
FERDINAND BLUEMENTRITT
Pardo De Tavera
Cecilio Apostol
Frank Laubach
Maximo Viola
“Ang Kasaysayan ay maaaring
solusyon sa mga suliranin sa
kasalukuyang panahon na
may epekto sa Kinabukasan”
ASSESSTMENT

Writing exercise or Reflection paper on

the context of the views regarding the
passing of RA 1425