This lesson covers the history of the Rizal Law, its original bill, and the efforts to recognize Jose Rizal's life and writings in education. It details opposition from the Catholic Church, debates in the Senate, and the eventual passage of Republic Act No. 1425, which mandates the study of Rizal's works in schools. Learning outcomes include understanding the history and importance of the Rizal Law and its impact on education and nationalism.

1. GE 9- LIFE AND WORKS OF DR.
JOSE RIZAL

2. LESSON 1
INTODUCTION TO THE COURSE I

3. OVERVIEW
This lesson will discuss the history of the Rizal law on
how it became an original bill to recognize the significance
of Rizal’s life and writings. This lesson also summarizes the
content of the said bill to instill heroism among the youth.

4. LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
1. Explain the history of the Rizal Law; and
2. Assess its important provisions.
3. Critically asses the effectiveness of the Rizal Course

5. Why study Rizal?
What is the importance of studying Rizal?
Why is Rizal one of the minor subjects taken up in college?
Why is Rizal included in the course outline?
What relevance does Rizal have in college education?

6. Why do we need to Study the Life and Works of
Rizal?
 First and foremost, because it is mandated by law.
 Secondly, because of the lessons contained within the
course itself.

7. HISTORY OF RIZAL LAW
In 1956, Senator Claro M. Recto filed a measure, which
became the original Rizal Bill.
It was a time when the country was being ravaged by the
HUKBALAHAP insurgency.

8. But, this was met with firm opposition from the Catholic
Church.
During the 1955 Senate election, the church charged
Recto with being a communist and an anti-Catholic.

9. After Recto's appointment, the Church sustained to clash
with the bill authorizing the reading of Rizal's novels Noli
Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo, appealing it would
intrude upon freedom of conscience and religion.

10. In the movement to oppose the Rizal bill, the
Catholic Church advised its devotees to write to their
congressmen and senators showing their
disapproval of the bill; later, it organized symposia.
- Fr. Jose Cavanna
- Jesus Paredes

11. Groups like Catholic Action of the Philippines, the
Congregation of the Mission, the Knights of
Columbus, and the Catholic Teachers Guild planned
disagreement with the bill; they were countered by
Veteranos de la Revolucion (Spirit of 1896), Alagad
in Rizal, the Freemasons, and the Knights of Rizal.
The Senate Committee on Education sponsored a
bill co-written by both José P. Laurel and Recto, with
the only opposition coming from Francisco Soc
Rodrigo, Mariano Jesús Cuenco, and Decoroso
Rosales.

12. The Archbishop of Manila, Rufino Santos, protested
in a pastoral letter that Catholic students would be
affected if compulsory reading of the unexpurgated
versions were pushed through. Arsenio Lacson,
Manila's mayor, who supported the bill, walked out of
Mass when the priest read a circular from the
archbishop disparaging the bill.

13. According to Cuenco, Rizal limited himself to
criticizing undeserving priests and refrained from
disapproving, mocking or putting in doubt dogmas of
the Catholic Church, absolutely gratuitous and
misleading.

14. Cuenco touched on Rizal's denial of the existence of
purgatory, as it was not found in the Bible, and that
Moses and Jesus Christ did not mention its
existence; Cuenco concluded that a "majority of the
Members of this Chamber, if not all [including] our
good friend, the gentleman from Sulu believed in
purgatory.”

15. The senator from Sulu, Domocao Alonto, attacked
Filipinos who proclaimed Rizal as "their national hero
but seemed to despise what he had written,” saying
that the Indonesians used Rizal's books as their
Bible on their independence movement; Pedro
López, who hails from Cebu, Cuenco's province, in
his support for the bill, reasoned out that it was in
their province the independence movement started,
when Lapu-Lapu fought Ferdinand Magellan.

16. The church continued its opposition of the bill by
calling all Catholic voters to reject lawmakers who
supported Recto’s Rizal Bill. Pastoral letters were
read in masses voicing opposition. Outside the
Senate, the Catholic schools threatened to close
down if the bill was approved.

17. Recto, however, stood his ground and dared the
Catholic Church to shut down their schools, knowing
that this was only an idle threat since the Catholic
learning institutions were its major source of income.
He also rejected Senator Rodrigo’s suggestion that
the annotated or edited versions of the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo should be used.

18. After a month-long standoff, a compromise bill
was filed. It was authored by Senator Jose
Laurel and it was based on the proposals of
Senators Roseller Lim and Emmanuel Pelaez.
On June 12, 1956, Republic Act No. 1425,
better known as the Rizal’s Law, came into
effect.

19. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425
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

20. QUESTIONS?