The document summarizes the history and key aspects of the Rizal Law in the Philippines, which mandates the teaching of Jose Rizal's life, works, and writings in all schools. It describes how the original "Noli-Fili Bill" proposed in 1956 met stiff opposition from the Catholic Church, but was later passed after revisions that expanded the required readings and made them optional. The final Rizal Law aimed to promote Filipino national identity and patriotism through the mandatory inclusion of Rizal-focused courses and access to his writings in schools.

3. Rizal Law or RA 1425 is a Philippine
law that requires all schools in the
Philippines to offer courses on the life,
works, and writings of Dr. Jose Rizal.

4. Why study him?

5. It’s 1956 and a decade had
passed since the end of
World War II.
Many Filipinos observed
that the sense of Filipino
identity was waning.

6. In response, nationalist policy-
makers emphasized education
as a foundation for national hope
and pride to reorient the nation.

7. On April 3, 1956, Senator Claro M. Recto
proposed Senate Bill No. 438 and submitted
it to the Senate Committee on Education.

8. “NOLI FILI BILL”
Senate Bill No. 438,titled "An Act to Make Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo Compulsory Reading Matter in All Public
and Private Colleges and Universities and For other Purposes,”

9. On April 17, 1956, Senator Jose P. Laurel,
Sr., who was then the Chairman of the
Committee on Education, sponsored
the Noli-Fili Bill in the senate and
presented it to the Upper House.

12. The Noli-Fili bill
sounds good, right?

13. Nope.

14. The Noli-Fili bill was met with stiff opposition from
the Catholic church and conservative groups.

15. Father Cavanna argued that
reading Rizal's novels in schools
could provide a false impression of
the country's current conditions.

16. Here are some additional criticisms of the
Catholic Church regarding the Noli-Fili Bill:

17. Among the 333 pages of Noli Me Tangere,
only 25 passages are nationalistic while
120 passages are anti-Catholic.

18. 170 lines from Noli Me Tangere and
50 lines in El Filibusterismo were
offensive to the Catholic doctrine.

19. The bill might divide the nation.

20. Compulsion to read something against
one’s faith impairs freedom of speech
and religious freedom.

21. Rizal admitted that he did not only attack the
friars who acted deceptively on the Filipinos
but also the Catholic faith itself.

22. At that time, Noli-Fili Bill was
widely controversial.

23. These catholic groups organized opposition to the bill:
Catholic Action of the Philippines
Congregation of the Mission
Knights of Columbus
Catholic Teachers Guild

24. The Church charged Recto with being
a communist and an anti-Catholic.

25. Catholic Schools threaten to close
their schools if the bill was passed.

26. On April 19, 1956,
Congressman Jacobo Z. Gonzales filed
a similar bill called House Bill No. 5561
to the House of Representatives.

27. Unfortunately, akin to Noli-Fili Bill,
House Bill No. 5561 had also been
opposed contending its
constitutionality and religiosity.

28. Senator Laurel proposed a substitute bill with
a few tweaks to appease the opposition.

29. Instead of only Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo,
1

30. Instead of only Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo,
the new substitute bill now includes a wider range of
works and writings by Jose Rizal.
1

31. Reading is now optional.
If a student does not want to
read the two novels, they can
request for an exemption.
Note: As of now, there is no record of any
student requesting for exemption, or if
such a practice was even implemented.
2

32. The implementation of reading
unexpurgated versions of Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo will only
be for college or university students.
3

33. not censored or edited to remove
offensive or objectionable content
unexpurgated

34. expurgated
to remove or censor offensive or objectionable
content, especially from a text.

36. On May 12, 1956 and May 14, 1956, Senate
Bill No. 438 and House Bill No. 5561 were
both unanimously approved on the
second reading and in the Lower House.

37. On June 12, 1956, the bill
was signed into law by
President Ramon Magsaysay,
giving birth to Republic Act
1425 or the Rizal Law.

38. “Rizal Law”
“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."

39. Elements of Rizal Law

40. The rationale for passing
the Rizal Law is that there
is a concern that the
Filipino identity is waning.

41. Studying Rizal's life and work
empowers youth to contribute
to our nation's progress.

42. The first section of the law
concerns mandating the
students to read Rizal’s novels.

43. The second section mandates
sufficient unexpurgated novel
copies in school libraries.

44. The third section of the law
aims to make Rizal's writings
more readily available to the
public by promoting their
printing at an affordable
cost, or in some cases,
providing them for free.

45. The fourth section of the
law clarifies it will not
change a specific section
of the Administrative Code
that prohibits public school
teachers from discussing
religious doctrines.

46. The fifth section of the law
authorizes the unallocated funds
to be used to implement the act.

47. The last section of the law
states that the act will
immediately take effect.

48. The goals of the Rizal Law can be summarized
in the following three points:

49. To rededicate the lives of youth to
the ideals of freedom and nationalism,
for which our heroes lived and died.

50. To pay tribute to our national hero
for devoting his life and works in
shaping the Filipino character.

51. To gain an inspiring source of
patriotism through the study of
Rizal’s life, works, and writings.

52. Should we still study him?
But really….