Republic Act 1425:

The Rizal Law

The Making of Rizal Law
Notable Persons Who Tried To Block Its
Approval
Intentions/Reasons of Persons Who Blocked
the Approval of Rizal Bill
Notable Persons Who Fought For Its Approval
Intentions/Reasons of Persons Who Pushed for
the Approval of Rizal Bill
Salient Points of Rizal Law
Teaching of Rizal Course in College
Important Issuances Relative to the
Implementation of Rizal Law
Rizal: A Legislated and Mandated Course
The Making of Rizal Law

In 1956, Senator Jose

P. Laurel filed Senate
Bill 448 or the Rizal Bill.
Its passage was rough due
to several persons who
tried to block its approval.
Notable Persons Who Tried
To Block Its Approval:
Sen. Decoroso Rosales – brother of
Archbishop (Cardinal) Rosales

Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo – President of

Catholic Action of the Philippines

Sen. Mariano Cuenco – brother of

Archbishop Cuenco
Jesus Paredes – radio commentator

Fr. Jesus Cavana – member of the Paulist

Order who wrote a pastoral letter

The Friars
Intentions/Reasons of
Persons Who Blocked the
Approval of Rizal Bill
The Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
are very damaging to the clerics.

The novels were written when Dr. Jose

Rizal, estranged from Catholic faith and
religion and contradict many of the
Christian beliefs.
To compel Catholic students to read a book
which contains passages contradicting their faith
constitutes a violation of a Philippine
constitutional provision (Art. 3, Sec. 1, Par. 7).

The novels do contain teachings contrary to

Catholic faith and so, the Church is opposed to
the proposed compulsory reading in their
entirety of such books in any school in the
Philippines where Catholic students may be
affected.
Notable Persons Who Fought
For Its Approval:

Sen. Jose P. Laurel

Claro M. Recto

Other Illustrious
Nationalists
Intentions/Reasons of Persons
Who Pushed for the Approval
of Rizal Bill
There is a need for a rededication to the ideals
of freedom and nationalism for which our
heroes lived and died.

There is a need to remember with special

fondness and devotion the lives and works of
our heroes who shaped the national character.
The life, works and writings of Dr.Jose
Rizal particularly, his novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo are
constant and inspiring source of
patriotism with which the minds of the
youth, especially during their formative
and decisive years in school, should
besuffused.

There is a need to develop moral

character, personal discipline, civic
conscience and to teach the duties of
citizenship.
Congress passed the
Rizal Bill (Senate Bill
448) and was signed
into Rizal Law
(Republic Act 1425) by
President Ramon
Magsaysay on June 12,
1956.
Salient Points of Rizal Law
 Courses on the life, works and writings of
Dr. Jose Rizal, particularly the novels Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be
included in the curricula of all schools,
colleges and universities, public and
private.

 It obliged all schools, colleges and

universities to keep in their libraries
adequate number of copies of the original
or unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo as well as
Rizal's other works and biography.
 It authorized and directed the Board
of National Education to work for the
translation of Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo as well as other
writings of Dr. Jose Rizal into English,
Tagalog and other principal dialects
and their printing in cheap or popular
editions and their circulation.
Teaching of Rizal Course in
College

 Rizal as a course has been taught in College

generally as a supplementary course by
teachers of different specializations.

 In most cases, the focus of the course is on

Rizal's biography and trivial matters,
compounded by the varying interpretations of
the spirit and the letter of Rizal law through
the years.
Important Issuances Relative
to the Implementation of
Rizal Law
 Approval of R.A. 1425 on
June 12, 1956
 Presidential Memorandum
Order 247 dated Dec. 26,
1994 – President Ramos
directed the DECS and
CHED to immediately and
fully implement R.A. 1425.
 CHED Memorandum
Order 6 dated February
15, 1996 – CHED ordered
all colleges and
universities to offer Rizal
course as a separate
three-unit course fully
and immediately.
Rizal: A Legislated and
Mandated Course

 Legislated – it is founded on
Republic Act 1425 (Rizal
Law)

 Mandated – it is ordered by
Presidential Memorandum
Order 247 and CHED
Memorandum Order 6.
Thank you very much!