Lesson 1: The Making of the
Rizal Law
1.1. Debate in the Senate
1.2. Conflict in the Catholic Church
https://miro.medium.com/max/640/1*zc3QddcVUkxj0EJillL-Qw.jpeg
Republic Act 1425
The enactment of
the R.A 1425 or the Rizal
Law is one of the most
controversial events that
happened in the history
of Philippine Legislation.
This stipulated debate
Reference:
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_legislatures
among members of the
_of_the_Philippines
Senate.
Initially there was no
seemingly dispute over Senate
Bill 438 which was filed by the
Committee on Education on
April 3, 1956. However, the
atmosphere changed on April
17, 1956 when Senator Jose P.
Laurel who was the chairman
Jose P. Laurel
of the Committee on
Education took the
Reference:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jose_P._
Laurel_at_the_Senate.jpg
sponsorship of the Rizal Bill.
The said legislative measure
was intended to inspire
nationalism among the Filipino
youth. Senator Jose P. Laurel’s
backing up of the proposed
legislation sparked a concerted
clash among the members of
Reference:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/42634695
the Upper House of Congress.
With the ensuing debates in
the Senate, Jose P. Laurel and Claro
M. Recto intensely defended the
Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose bill. On the other hand the group
composed of Senator Mariano J.
_P._Laurel
Cuenco, Francisco Rodrigo and
Decosoro Rosales struggled to
sustain their ardent opposition.
Reference:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gov
ph/21731923836
The controversial Senate Bill No. 438 in
its original version read as follows:
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.
7
The clash that spurred
among the members of the
Congress was painted with
religious color. In fact those
who pitted the passage of
the bill were mostly Catholic
bishops and their followers
Reference: https://www.mypope.com.ph/oldest-
who rigidly defended their
churches-in-the-philippines/
religious faith.
8
The Catholic church had
influenced some of the
members of the Congress in
the opposition of the Rizal
bill. Those who stood
against the bill in the Upper
chamber were not just
religious fanatics but had
personal connection with
high ranking church officials.
Reference: https://www.mypope.com.ph/oldest-
churches-in-the-philippines/
The Catholic hierarchy
incessantly resisted the
passage of the proposed
measure. The bishops
published a pastoral letter
calling the members of the
Catholic Church to reject
Reference: https://www.mypope.com.ph/oldest-
the bill.
churches-in-the-philippines/
Prior to the introduction
of the Rizal bill, the
leader of the Catholic
Church commissioned Fr.
Horacio de la Costa to
prepare a pastoral letter
that will articulate their
Reference:
standpoint on Rizal.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15891
337.Horacio_de_la_Costa_S_J_
• Rizal appears to be a virtuous
person whose works and
writings must be cherished by
the Filipino people.
• This view on Rizal was
contradictory to the statement
issued by the bishops during
Reference:
https://ateneo.edu/ls/english/news/features/fr- the height of the Rizal Bill
horacio-v-de-la-costa-ateneos-treasured-gem
controversy.
• There are five drafts, all
containing many passages of
his original but with significant
differences at times.
Reference:
https://ateneo.edu/ls/english/news/features/fr-
horacio-v-de-la-costa-ateneos-treasured-gem
• Senator Recto adeptly stoop
up in repudiating that the two
novels had any impious
insinuation. The sole object of
the bill, he said was to foster
the better appreciation of
Rizal’s time and the role he
played in combating Spanish
Reference:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/govph/217 tyranny in this country.
31923836
➢ Recto was so keen in
defending Rizal’s novel. He
pointed out that the religious
allusion mentioned in the
books speaks of the real
condition that was extent
during Rizal’s time. The violent
Reference:
passages in the novels were
https://www.flickr.com/photos/govph/217
31923836
intended for the friars and not
the Filipino clergy today.
In his stand against the claim of the detractors that the novels were
inimical to the Catholic faith, Senator Recto stated:
“Rizal did not pretend to teach religion or theology when he wrote
those books. He aimed at inculcating civic consciousness in the
Filipinos, national dignity, personal pride, and patriotism, and if
references were made by him in the course of his narration to
certain religious practices in the Philippines in those days and to the
conduct and behavior of erring ministers of the church, it was
because he portrayed faithfully the general situation in the
Philippines as it then existed.
In his stand against the claim of the detractors that the novels were
inimical to the Catholic faith, Senator Recto stated:
Nobody can dispute that the situation described by Rizal in those
days, political, social and religious, was the one actually obtaining
in the Philippines; but while he criticized and ridiculed the
unworthy behavior of certain ministers of the church, he made
exceptions in favor of the worthy ones, like the Dominican friar,
Padre Fernandez, and the virtuous native priest, Padre Florentino
and the Jesuits in general (Laurel, 1960).”
From the start of the deliberation on April 23
until May 8, 1956, the situation was just
getting worse with no sign of falling off,
Senator Laurel presented a substitute bill
which was an amendment to the original
version. The full text of the proposed
amendment read as follows (Laurel, 1960):
Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Jose_P._Laurel
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.
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.
• One significant change in the amended version is the
obliteration of the word compulsory or compulsion.
Although the reading of the novels is not anymore
obligatory for tertiary students, the schools are
required to make available the unedited version of the
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo for those who
would wish to read the novels.
Despite the ambivalent temper of
Malacañang on the contentious bill,
remarkably on June 12, 1956,
Republic Act No. 1425, otherwise
known as the Rizal Law was signed
Reference:
https://www.officialgazette.gov
by President Ramon Magsaysay.
.ph/banner-artwork/ramon-
magsaysay/
This material is for educational purposes only.
