JOSÉ PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO Y REALONDA
great Filipino patriot through the reading of his work
- Was said to be a Chinese mestizo and a genius
- An ophthalmic surgeon who took up medicine in UST
- A poet, dramatist, essayist, novelist, historian, architect,
painter, sculptor, educator, linguist, musician, naturalist,
ethnologist, land surveyor, engineer, farmer businessman,
economist, geographer, cartographer, bibliophile, philologist,
grammarian, folklorist, philosopher, translator, inventor,
magician, humorist, satirist, traveler, and prophet
- A national hero chosen by US Civil Governor William
Howard Taft in 1901
- Was a “millennial” of his generation
ORIGINS OF THE RIZAL LAW
DECEMBER 20, 1898
- Decree issued by President Emilio Aguinaldo celebrating Rizal
Day on JUNE 19
- Affirmed by the Philippine Commission on FEBRUARY 1, 1902
 Despite the observance of Rizal Day since 1898, no
systematic effort has been made by the government to
include the novels in schools
 Rizal’s purpose in writing his novels was to “remove the veil
of ignorance and superstition that had kept his countrymen
subservient to the Church and the Spanish government”
 Therefore, Rizal was honored on Rizal Day, but his writings
were not disseminated because of pressure from the
Catholic Church to prevent his novels, deemed as “anti-
friar”
 Church pressure continued long after the Spaniards were
expelled from the Philippines in 1898 and 60 years after
the execution of Rizal
R.A. 1425 – THE RIZAL LAW
- Senate Bill 438 was introduced to inspire and develop
nationalism, inspire civic consciousness, as well to teach
civic values
- To promote patriotism among the Filipino youth
- That the Filipino youth would be incorruptible, be confident,
have courage, and determination to move forward in their
journey towards an abundant life (Jose P. Laurel)
- Sen. Jose P. Laurel and Sen. Claro Recto sponsored Senate
Bill 438 that “required the inclusion in the curricula of all
private and public schools the life, works and writings of Rizal,
particularly his Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in their
unexpurgated form.”
JOSE LAUREL – TRIALS OF THE RIZAL BILL
- There were heated disputes over the legislation of the Rizal
Bill
- The passing of the law was full of bitterness and recrimination
that attended its enactment
- Senator Jose P. Laurel, Chairman of the Senate Committee of
Education, sponsored Senate Bill 438
JJCBUENAFE – 2J PH
- The objective was to disseminate the ideas and ideals of the
- Catholics inside and outside Congress took the bill as an
attempt to discredit the Catholic faith
- They challenged the compulsory nature of the bill as a
violation of the religious freedom
- There was allegedly a Pastoral Letter, which, while it praised
Rizal, branded his novels as heretical and impious
Rizal Bill was strongly opposed by three senators known as stout
defenders of the Church:
a) Decoroso Rosales
b) Mariano Cuenco
c) Francisco “Soc” (Solder for Christ) Rodrigo
- These parliamentarians were seen as “rabid Catholics”, who
denounced Rizal as anti-Catholic
- They charged that his writings were replete with “errors of
church dogma”
- For them, Filipino students were “immature” and unprepared
to understand Rizal’s writings
- They believe that the compulsion to read something against
one’s religious convictions was no different from a requirement
to salute the flag, said to be an impairment of both freedom
of speech and freedom of religion.
- A possible conflict for Catholic Filipinos between their country
and faith
WALK-OUTS
APRIL 22, 1956
- Sunday newspapers all carried a statement from Catholic
bishops describing Rizal’s works as violating Church canon law
in heresy and schism
- Opposition came from:
a) Catholic Action of the Philippines
b) The Holy Name Society of the Philippines
c) Legion of Mary
d) Knights of Columbus
e) Daughters of Isabela
For Claro Recto, the bill would foster better appreciation of Rizal’s
times and of the role he played in combating Spanish tyranny in the
country.
CONSTANTINO’S RIZAL BILL, COULD BE FOUND IN MAKING OF
THE FILIPINO
- Recto’s belief that the reading of Rizal’s novels would
strengthen the Filipinism of the youth and foster patriotism
a) CLARO RECTO – original author of the bill
b) JOSE LAUREL – sponsor of the bill through a senate
committee
- Tackled the opposition and discussed the existence of a
pastoral letter detailing Church objections to the bill and
enjoining Catholics to oppose it
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 - Parts of the novels were considered objectionable matter by
the hierarchy
- Catholics had the right to refuse to read so as not to
endanger their salvation
- Recto’s Bill was to be Recto’s revenge against the Catholic
voters who, together with Magsaysay, were responsible for
his poor showing in the 1955 senatorial elections
CATHOLIC ACTION OF MANILA – “kill” the Rizal Bill
FR. JESUS CAVANNA
- Said the novels belong to the past
- Said that it would be harmful to read them because they
presented a false picture of conditions in the country at the
time
- The Noli Me Tangere was said to be an “attack on the clergy”
and that its objective was to “put the ridicule to the Catholic
faith”
- The novel was not really patriotic because out of 333 pages,
only 25 contained patriotic passages while 120 were
devoted to anti-Catholic attacks
CATHOLIC CHURCH OPPOSITION TO RIZAL BILL
- The novels violated Catholic canon law on heresy and schism
- The novels painted a false picture of Philippine society
- The novels could sway the faith of young people who would
naturally be impressionable
- The novels said to violate freedom of belief
WAS THE CHURCH UNITED IN ITS OPPOSITION?
- While the Churches issued pastoral letters, Catholic
organizations and seminaries campaigned against the Bill
- They argued that it “forced young students to read Rizal’s
works, which had religious overtones”
- They argued that it would be a “violation of the constitutional
freedom of religion and the freedom of conscience”
- Foreign priests and foreign nuns also participated in the
campaign
WHY R.A. 1425 GOT PASSED
- Representatives of Catholic schools threatened to close down
their schools
- In response, Recto threatened the nationalization of Catholic
schools if they shut down their schools
- An amendment was approved where that allowed students to
apply for an “exemption” for religious reasons from reading
the novels
- The bill was passed by both the House and the Senate on
May 17, 1956
- On June 12, 1956, President Magsaysay signed the bill into
law as R.A. 1425
- According to the 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.”
JJCBUENAFE – 2J PH
SCHUMACHER – THE RIZAL BILL OF 1956 (HORACIO DE LA
COSTA AND THE BISHOPS)
- Several pastoral letter drafts
- FR. HORACIO DE LA COSTA, S.J. – lone figure in the Church
who supported the bill
- Debates also tackled a proposal by anti-Bill Catholic senator
Rodrigo, who suggested that an exception be made as to
editions which contain annotations approved by the Church
- The exact provision of the exemption was by which a student
who would “serve written notice under oath, to the head of the
college or university that the reading and study of the
unexpurgated edition is contrary to his religion or his religious
beliefs, said student shall be exempt from using said edition.”
CAROLINE HAU’S NECESSARY FICTION: PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
AND THE NATION, 1946-1980
- Brought literature and nationalism together in the state’s
attempt to decolonize the culture of the country
- State used literature to foster national consciousness by the
Filipino people and make “good” citizens of the Filipino youth
- Literary works shape the national character
- The study of the heroes’ life and works
- The evils that Rizal denounced existed up to this day
- In Noli Me Tangere, you have the rise of a Filipino “knowable”
community that became the conceptual basis of the Filipino
nation
LEGACIES OF THE RIZAL LAW
- The Catholic Church lost the Rizal Bill battle in 1956, but it has
won all other Filipino legislative battles, a testament to its
power over Filipino society
- Memorandum Order no. 247 directs the Secretary of
Education, Culture and Sports and the Chairman of the
Commission on Higher Education to fully implement R.A. 1425
- With the Rizal Law where the youth would study Rizal’s life
and analyze his teachings and literary works, the Filipino
youth would:
a) Gain inspiration and insight
b) Involve themselves in the community
c) Imbibe the virtues and values of Rizal and other
reputable leaders of the country
d) Acquire proper direction and become better citizens
- Patriotism was promoted through the goals set by the former
board of National Education that involved:
a) Showcase the relevance of Rizal’s ideals, thoughts,
teachings, and values to community life
b) Application of Rizal’s ideas to the solution of the day
to day problems encountered in contemporary life
c) Promote the understanding and appreciation of the
qualities, conduct and character of Rizal
d) Foster the development of the moral character,
personal discipline, citizenship skills and vocational
efficiency of the Filipino youth
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 LIFE, WORKS, AND WRITINGS OF RIZAL: THE CONTEXT
AND BACKGROUND OF RIZAL’S TIMES (PART 1)
- United States: Civil War, Negro slavery, and the
Emancipation Proclamation of 1863
- Russia: Czar Alexander II emancipated tens of millions of serf
- Mexico, just before Rizal’s birth in 1861, had a full-blooded
Zapotec Indian President
- England under Queen Victoria- predominant imperial power
in the world
- Italy and Germany unified into powerful, political entities
- China - divided up by Europeans after the Opium Wa
- India - under British raj rule. The rest of Asia divided up
amongst the Europeans
- Japan - opened up by America to the world, ending its 214
year isolation, with modernization
- Germany- a late imperial power; acquired colonies in Africa
and began seeking Pacific possessions. Nearly went to war
with Spain over the Central Pacific Islands. If not for the
arbitration of Pope Leo XIII.
- By then, Spain was a fading power, having lost her rich
colonies in Central and South America to revolution and
independence. By the late 1800s, the Spanish Empire was
reduced to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines (which
included Guam).
THE PHILIPPINES DURING THE 18TH CENTURY
- The rise of the export crop economy and monopolies
- Governor General Jose de Basco y Vargas who saw the
potential for large scale production of cash crops in the colony
- Basco established the Royal Company of the Philippines in
1785 to finance these projects
- The purpose was to make the colony self-supporting and self-
sufficient
- Repealed ban on Chinese merchants (lead to the rise of
Chinese mestizos)
- Began to open Manila to foreign traders
- The Tobacco monopoly – remittances
- Cigar production – led to cultivation of abaca and sugar
- The rise of the Chinese mestizo (new immigrants linked
provincial producers to the world market)
- The Parian was established
- Indio and mestizo elites were a new middle class
- Many Indios became inquilinos were tenants/leaseholders of
agriculture land
THE GALLEON TRADE
- With the end of the Spanish empire in the America, the
Manila-Acapulco galleon which linked American and Asian
trade and which began in 1565, ended in 1815
- Manila was opened to world trade officially in 1834- city
became a “port of call”
- more diverse jobs, more money transactions and more cultural
diversions
- Manila’s population increased from 100,000 in 1822 to
150,000 by the mid-1800s
JJCBUENAFE – 2J PH
- In the 1850s and 1860s, the ports of Iloilo and Cebu opened
to foreign shipping, stimulating trade and agriculture in the
Visayas.
- New tracts of forestland on Negros were cleared for sugar
FOREIGN TRADE
- Manila was opened to world trade officially in 1834
- more diverse jobs, more money transactions and more cultural
diversions
- Manila’s population increased from 100,000 in 1822 to
150,000 by the mid-1800s
- In the 1850s and 1860s, the ports of Iloilo and Cebu opened
to foreign shipping, stimulating trade and agriculture in the
Visayas
- New tracts of forestland on Negros were cleared for sugar.
OPENING OF THE SUEZ CANAL
- The Suez Canal was opened to world trade in 1869-
dramatically decreased travel time from Europe and led to
many Spanish migrating to the Philippines
- enabled ilustrados to easily reach Europe from the Philippines
for study and for travel
- hastened the movement of people and of ideas from Europe
to the Philippines
- Domination of imports, exports and distribution by the British
and by the Chinese in the Philippines
UNDER SPANISH GOVERNMENT
CENTRALIZED
- the Ministries of the Colonies established in Madrid in 1863-
exercised executive, legislative, judicial and religious powers.
THE GOVERNOR GENERAL
- appointed by the Spanish monarch
- Represents the King in all state and religious matters
- Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
- The Vice Royal Patron over the religious affairs in the islands
- The ex-officio President of the Royal Audiencia, which
enjoyed judicial powers
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