LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

(ANG BUHAY AT MGA GAWA NI RIZAL)

Who is Dr. Jose Rizal?
 Jose Rizal, considered as the greatest
among the Filipino heroes, was not explicitly
proclaimed as a national hero.
 The position he
now holds in Philippine
history is a tribute to
the continued
veneration or
acclamation of the
people in recognition of
his contribution to the
significant social
transformations that
took place in our
country.
 Aside from Rizal, the only other hero given
an implied recognition as a national hero is
Andres Bonifacio whose day of birth on
November 30 has been made a national holiday.
 No law, executive order or proclamation has
been enacted or issued officially proclaiming any
Filipino historical figure as a national hero.
However, because of their significant roles in the
process of nation building and contributions to
history, there were laws enacted and proclamations
issued honoring these heroes.
 On March 28, 1993 ,
President Fidel V. Ramos
issued Executive Order No.75
entitled “Creating the
National Heroes Committee
Under the Office of the
President”. The principal duty
of the Committee is to study,
evaluate and recommend
Filipino national
personages/heroes in due
recognition of their sterling
character and remarkable
achievements for the country.
 Melchora Aquino

Juan Luna Gabriela Silang

Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat

Dr. Jose Rizal

Marcelo H. del Pilar
Emilio Aguinaldo
Apolinario Mabini Andres Bonifacio
 Despite the recommendations, no action
has been taken due to the possibility of
triggering debates over historical controversies.
However, the given qualifications of the
National Heroes Commission, historians and
researchers reflect the continuing quest to
remember significant personalities who made a
difference in Philippine history.
 Heroes, according to historians, should
not be legislated. Their appreciation should be
better left to academics. Acclamation for heroes,
they felt, would be recognition enough.
Why Study

?
 It is of great importance that students
understand the rationale behind having to take
up a Rizal course in college.
 For high
school students,
the Noli Me
Tangere and the El
Filibusterismo are
injected into the
Filipino subject as
part of the overall
curriculum.
In tertiary education, however, Rizal is a
subject required of any course, in any college or
university in the Philippines.
 WHY STUDY RIZAL?
BECAUSE IT IS MANDATED BY LAW
The Rizal Law The mandatory Rizal
subject in the Philippines
was the upshot of the
Rizal Bill which later
became a law in 1956,
known as Republic Act
No. 1425 or the Rizal Law.
The law involves
mandating educational
institutions in the country
to offer a course on the
hero’s life, works, and
writings, especially the
‘Noli Me Tangere’ and ‘El
Filibusterismo’.
 The full name of the law is “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.“
 The transition from being a bill to
becoming a republic act was however not easy
as the proposal was met with intense opposition
particularly from the Catholic Church.
 Largely because of the
issue, the then senator
Claro M. Recto—the
main proponent of the
Rizal Bill—was even
dubbed as a
communist and an anti-
Catholic.
 Catholic schools threatened to stop
operation if the bill was passed, though Recto
calmly countered the threat, stating that if that
happened, then the schools would be
nationalized. Afterward threatened to be
punished in future elections, Recto remained
undeterred.
 The bill was eventually passed, but with a
clause that would allow exemptions to students
who think that reading the Noli and Fili would
ruin their faith.
In other words, one
can apply to the
Department of Education
for exemption from
reading Rizal’s novels—
though not from taking
the Rizal subject. The bill
was enacted on June 12,
1956.
 So far, no student has yet officially applied for
exemption from reading Rizal’s novels.
Correspondingly, former President Fidel V. Ramos in
1994, through Memorandum Order No. 247,
directed the Secretary of Education, Culture and
Sports and the Chairman of the Commission on
Higher Education to fully implement the RA 1425 as
there had been reports that the law had still not
been totally carried out. In 1995, CHED
Memorandum No. 3 was issued enforcing strict
compliance to Memorandum Order No. 247.
 Jose P. Laurel, then
senator who co-wrote
the law, explained that
since Jose Rizal was the
founder of the country’s
nationalism and had
significantly contributed
to the current condition
of the nation, it is only
right that Filipinos,
especially the youth,
know about and learn to
imbibe the great ideals
for which the hero died.
 WHY STUDY RIZAL?
BECAUSE OF THE LESSONS
CONTAINED WITHIN THE COURSE
Accordingly, the Rizal Law aims to accomplish the
following goals:
1. To rededicate the
lives of youth to the
ideals of freedom and
nationalism, for which
our heroes lived and
died
2. To pay tribute to our national hero for devoting his
life and works in shaping the Filipino character
3. To gain an inspiring source of patriotism through the
study of Rizal’s life, works, and writings.
 The academic subject on the life, works, and
writings of Jose Rizal was not mandated by law for
nothing. Far from being impractical, the course
interestingly offers many benefits that some
contemporary academicians declare that the
subject, especially when taught properly, is more
beneficial than many subjects in various curricula.
Thank you!
References:
• http://ourhappyschool.com/history/importance-jose-rizal-
subject
• http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-
profile/selection-and-proclamation-of-national-heroes-and-
laws-honoring-filipino-historical-figures/
• https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/180016-fast-facts-
filipino-national-hero-criteria-heroes-day-philippines
• http://thelifeandworksofrizal.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-
study-rizal.html