Lesson 1-11 Life and Works of Rizal

Senate Bill No. 438

“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”

Sen. Claro M. Recto, Senate Committee on Education

Senate Bill No. 438

This bill, authored by_________was submitted to the________

Senator Jose P. Laurel, April 17, 1956

Senate Bill No. 438

____________Chairman of the Committee, sponsored and presented the bill to the members of the Upper House on____________

ideas and ideals, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo

Senate Bill No. 438

The purpose of the bill was to disseminate the________of Jose Rizal through the reading of his works, notably his novels____________and_________

nationalism

Jose P. Laurel, then senator who co-wrote the law, explained that since Jose Rizal was the founder of the country’s_____________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

1. It was an attempt to discredit the Catholic religion.

2. Inimical to the tenets of the faith to which 170 lines in Noli Me Tangere and 50 lines in El Filibusterismo were offensive to the Church doctrine.

3. The bill might divide the nation.

4. Compulsion to read something against one’s faith impaired freedom of speech and religious freedom.

Arguments of those who were opposing the bill, mostly rabid Catholic senators_________

Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo

Opposition to the bill Senator_________in his speech said:

“A vast majority of our people are at the same time Catholics and Filipino citizens. As such, they have two great loves: their country and their faith. These two loves are no conflicting loved. They are harmonious affections, like the love of a child for his father and for his mother. This is the basis of my stand. Let us not create a conflict between nationalism and religion; the government and the church.

House Bill No. 5561, Congressman Jacobo Z. Gonzales

This bill was similar to Senate bill 438. This was filed by___________in the House of Representatives. Different face but same stance, the bill was attacked based on its constitutionality and religiosity. With this setback, both in the Upper House and the Lower House.

1. Include all works and writings of Jose Rizal.

2. Remove the term “compulsion.”

3. To read the original and expurgated edition of Rizal’s novels because the true purpose of studying these will be defeated if not followed.

4. To add a more conciliating clause… students may be exempted from reading the novels on

certain conditions

Senator Laurel proposed a substitute bill with the following changes:

May 12, 1956

When was the Senate Bill No. 438 was unanimously approved on second reading in the Upper House?

May 14, 1956

When was The bill was also unanimously approved in the Lower House?

June 12, 1956

When did President Ramon Magsaysay signed the bill to make it a law?

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

SECTION 1

Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novel Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be included in the curricula of all schools, colleges and universities, public or private: Provided, That in the collegiate courses, the original or unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their English translation shall be used as basic texts.

The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed to adopt forthwith measures to implement and carry out the provisions of this Section, including the writing and printing of appropriate primers, readers and textbooks. The Board shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate rules and regulations, including those of a disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the provisions of this Act. The Board shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students for reasons of religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, from the requirement of the provision contained in the second part of the first paragraph of this section; but not from taking the course provided for in the first part of said paragraph. Said rules and regulations shall take effect thirty (30) days after their publication in the Official Gazette.

SECTION 2.

It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and universities to keep in their libraries an adequate number of copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal’s other works and biography. The said unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their translations in English as well as other writings of Rizal shall be included in the list of approved books for required reading in all public or private schools, colleges and universities. The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of the number of books, depending upon the enrollment of the school, college or university.

SECTION 3

The Board of National Education shall cause the translation of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as other writings of Jose Rizal into English, Tagalog and the principal Philippine dialects; cause them to be printed in cheap, popular editions; and cause them to be distributed, free of charge, to persons desiring to read them, through the Purok organizations and Barrio Councils throughout the country.

SECTION 4

Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amendment or repealing section nine hundred twenty- seven of the Administrative Code, prohibiting the discussion of religious doctrines by public school teachers and other person engaged in any public school.

SECTION 5

The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is hereby authorized to be appropriated out of any fund not otherwise appropriated in the National Treasury to carry out the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6

This Act shall take effect upon its approval. Approved: June 12, 1956

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956.

Goals Set by the Board on National Education

• To recognize the relevance of Rizal’s ideals, thoughts, teaching, and life values to present conditions in

the community;

• To apply Rizal’s ideas in the solution of day-to-day situations and problems in contemporary life

• To develop an understanding and appreciation of the qualities, behavior and character of Rizal; and

• To foster the development of moral character, personal discipline, citizenship and vocational efficiency among the Filipino youth.

Hero

• A mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability

• an illustrious warrior

• a person admired for achievements and noble qualities

• one who shows great courage

(Merriam Webster’s Dictionary)

Bayani, Bagani, Magani, Wani

Concept of Hero in Filipino Culture and History

• Other names of hero include/

warrior

A hero in Philippine societies was just a normal________of the community

• Tasks

Pangangayaw

Tasks were based on daily needs of the village_________

Pangangayaw

raiding into unallied territory. This was done because of four reasons:

1. To secure resources (goods, bounty, human slaves)

2. To avenge a personal affront or family honor

3. To fulfill mourning requirements to which the life of enemies must be sacrificed

4. For personal prominence or a mercenary reward

The pangangayaw

is completed when the group of Bayani returns home; a person who leaves his/her own town and then returns

Tattoo

used as protection of kaluluwa (soul) of a Bayani

Kris/kampilan

(weapon)

Putong

(head gear)

Bayani

• A true kawani or lingkod-bayan (community servant)

• To maintain peace and order

• A person with a high status and dignity - The Boxer Codex (1590) ancient document about early

Philippine societies

• A person who fears no one (walang takot), courageous (matapang), firm (matibay), bold (mapangahas), but quiet (tahimik) and calm (mahinahon) - Pedro Serrano Laktaw

• An honorific role and title in the society

Criteria for Recognizing Heroes

• The extent of a person’s sacrifice for the welfare of the country

• The motive and methods employed in the attainment of the ideal welfare of the country

• The moral character of the person concerned

• The influence of the person concerned

• Those who have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire and struggle for the nation’s freedom

• Those who define and contribute to the quality of life and destiny of a nation

• Those who contribute to the quality of life of freedom and order for a nation

• A part of the people’s expression

• A person who thinks of the future, especially the future generations

• The choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of an episode or events in history, but of the entire process that made this particular person a hero

Three Criteria of Americans in making Jose Rizal the national hero of the Philippines

• A hero who is not violent and militant, preferred peaceful means like education

• A hero who had no qualms on American imperialism

• A hero who is already dead

William H. Taft

In 1901,__________President of the Second Philippine Commission, had appointed Rizal to embody the brand of nationalism propagated by the American colonial government

Steps made by the American colonial government to promote Rizal’s heroism

•The creation of Rizal province

•The erection of Rizal Monument

•The declaration of Rizal Day on December 30 as a public holiday

Four major national celebrations with Rizal as an important subject:

•June 12 (Independence Day)

•June 19 (Birth Anniversary)

•Last week of August (National Heroes Week)

•December 30 (Rizal Day)

Historic Rizal

lived and died in the 19th century Philippines; he was the true person, the actual Rizal in History books

Symbolic Rizal

the “second” Rizal; the Rizal in Luneta, in the one-peso coin; the Rizal in postage stamps; the Rizal in t-shirts, etcs. This kind of Rizal has become a text open to many meanings.

Text

anything that can be read, interpreted, and analyzed, has no intrinsic value or meaning apart from readers. The message is actualized by the reader.

Two Types of Text:

1. sign

2. symbol

Sign

fixed reality and posits itself as a means of portraying that reality; “closed” text

Symbol

Conveys meaning not only about itself but about cultural processes and relationships; “open” text

Philippine History

is a repository of a nation’s collective memory. It should be taken from the heart. Studying Rizal’s life, works and writings must be entrenched in every Filipino’s soul. Lessons about his life are useless if not applied in real life.

Nation-building

is the process whereby a society of people with diverse origins, histories, languages, cultures and religions come together within the boundaries of a sovereign state with a unified constitutional and legal dispensation, a national public education system, an integrated national economy, shared symbols and values, as equals, to work towards eradicating the divisions and injustices of the past; to foster unity; and promote a countrywide conscious sense of being proudly [Filipino], committed to the country and open to the continent and the world. - Department of Arts and Culture, South Africa

long century

Some historians refer to the 19th century as a_______because of

the numerous changes that happened during this period.

Rizal

__________was a product of the 19th century and responded to the needs of the time. He took an

active role through the Propaganda Movement so that Spain may remedy all the tyrannies and

injustices of its own colonial rule

19th century.

Rizal’s idea of a Filipino nation would not be possible without the

events of the__________

Spain

_____________was losing most of its colonies; suffered from party strife, revolutions, political

upheavals, constitutional and governmental changes that led to colonial instability. Due to the

instability of__________as a government, it directly affected the Philippines as one of its colonies.

Maladministration in the delivery of justice

the court would often favor a Spaniard; most

Filipinos have to suffer from the costly, unfair and partial trial.

No equality before the law

native nobles and pure-bred Spaniards enjoyed legal

preference both in law and social duties; The Spanish Penal Code imposed heavier

penalties on Filipinos

Racial prejudice

there was discrimination and racial prejudice everywhere; preference

was given to Spaniards in school, church hierarchy, public offices, legal system, etc.

Forced labor

all Filipino males who were 16-60 years old were required to render forced

labor known as “polo y servicio”; workers were called “polistas”; they were tasked to

perform general public and building works/construction of churches, schools, roads,

bridges, ships, etc.

Those who were exempted from forced labor:

• Well-off Filipinos, the principalia (the aristocracy; nobles) shall be exempted by

paying the falla of seven pesos

• Government officials (like the gobernadorcillos or the cabeza de barangay) and

teachers due to their services to the community

Frailocracy

“government ruled by the friars”; in the 19th century, there was no separation

between the Church and the state. The friars became so powerful that it resulted to the

abuse of Filipinos the friars were supposedly tasked to report whatever is happening in

their parishes and friar-estates.

Lack of representation in the Spanish Cortes (Parliament), 1811

Ideally, colonial government

should open its parliament to colonial representation to hear and improve the conditions of

the colonies. In_____, the Philippines was represented by a Filipino-Spanish merchant

named Ventura de los Reyes. However, his diligent representation was one reason why

the galleon trade was abolished for its reported abuses. These examples are proof of how

representation would benefit the country by communicating the needs of the colony.

Despite its emerging advantages, it was only short-lived. Thus, social injustices

continually oppressed and marginalized the Filipinos during the 19th century.

1762-1764, British force

The_________brief occupation of the_______ and the rapid development of economies in Europe made Spanish administrators in the colony rethink their policies so as not to get left behind by their neighbors and to prevent another incident such as the British occupation from happening again in the near future.

Abolition of the Galleon trade

__________and opening of the Philippines to world trade, which increased the

economic activities in the country and the entry of foreign ideas through books and other printed

media.

The Manila Galleon Trade (Manila to Acapulco)

was the world’s first recorded global trade route,

shuttling luxuries of Asia (Old World) between treasures of the Americas (New World).

Suez Canal, 1859

The opening of the__________in_______made travelling to Europe easier

Dutch and British

The end of Spain’s wars with the________and the nullification of slave raiding activities of

the Moro led to the development of agricultural lands and the discovery of new frontiers in the

Philippines. This led to the change in the social and economic class in the Philippines, emergence

of local elites.

Developments

_________led to revolts which showed the growing gap between the rich and poor.

Cadiz Constitution, 1812

The implementation of the_________in_________also provided a brief legal justification

for the quest for equality since it was stated in the document that all citizens of Spain,

including those in the colonies, were equal under the law.

Brigandage and tulisanes

___________increased their robbing, kidnapping, and pillaging activities,

prompting the colonial government to create the Guardia Civil

Highest Class

the people that belonged in this class include the Spaniards,

peninsulares and the friars. They had the power and authority to rule over the Filipinos

The Peninsulares

Spaniards who were born in Spain; held the most important government jobs, and made

up the smallest number of the population

The Friars

Members of any of certain religious orders of men, especially the four mendicant orders

(Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans, and Franciscans)

Middle Class

the people that belonged into this class includes the natives, mestizos and the

criollos

The Insulares

• Also known as criollos; full-blooded Spaniards born in the Philippines

• They were considered the second highest racial class in Spanish hierarchy below the

Peninsulares but ranked above mestizos, native Filipinos, and Indios

Lowest class

this class included the Filipinos only

The Indios

were the poor people having pure blood Filipino which ruled by the Spaniards

educated Filipinos

There was an increase of___________as the colonial government started to reform

education institutions in the Philippines

Ilustrados

educated / enlightened individuals; eventually formed the core of a new emerging

movement (Reform and Propaganda Movement)

The “Reform and Propaganda Movement”

_____________was different from earlier revolts because it had a

more nationalistic and racial dimension fuelled by the sufferings and discriminations experienced

by Filipinos under the Spaniards.

GOMBURZA (Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora)

they were executed by garrote by the Spaniards in Bagumbayan in connection with the 1872 Cavite Mutiny

1863

Not until_________was there public education in the Philippines, and even then the church

controlled the curriculum.

Rizal

____________thought about revolution as a means of emancipating the Philippines from Spain based

on his letters

La Liga Filipina

The founders of the Katipunan, were members of Rizal’s_______

P. Jacinto

Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila by_______

Biographies

– are literary works that highlight the life of certain individuals

– are crucial documents or sources in writing history; however, they also can be used

as political tools because some facts may be omitted or added in the writing process

AUTOBIOGRAHY

- the biography of oneself narrated by oneself

- the intimate writings made during the author’s life that were not necessarily intended for

publication (including letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, and reminiscences) to a formal booklength autobiography.

1872-1881

Rizal wrote his memoirs from______

Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila by P. Jacinto

Chapter 1 – Rizal’s childhood in Calamba, describing their house and life; death of his sister, Concha

I was born on Wednesday, the nineteenth of June, 1861. It was a few days

before the full of the moon. I found myself in a village. I had some slight notions of the

morning sun and of my parents. That is as much as I can recall of my baby days.

The training which I received from my earliest infancy is perhaps what formed

my habits. I can recall clearly my first gloomy nights, passed on the azotea of our

house. They seem as yesterday! They were nights filled with the poetry of sadness and

seem near now because at present my days are so sad.

On moonlight nights, I took my supper on the azotea. My nurse, who was very

fond of me, used to threaten to leave me to a terrible but imaginary being like the bogey

of the Europeans if I did not eat…

At nightfall, my mother had us all say our prayers together. Then we would go

to the azotea or to a window to enjoy the moonlight; and my nurse would tell us stories.

Sometimes sad and sometimes gay, nurse’s stories were always oriental in their

imagination. In these stories, dead people, gold, and plants on which diamonds grew

were all mixed together. When I was four years of age, my little sister Concha died, and for the first time

I cried because of love and sorrow. Till then I had shed tears only for my own faults,

which my loving, prudent mother well knew how to correct.

I learned to write in my own village. My father looked after my education. He

paid an old man, who had been his schoolmate, to teach me the first steps in Latin.

This teacher lived in our house till he died, five months later. He had been in almost

perfect health and it was at the moment of death that he received extreme unction.

Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila by P. Jacinto

Chapter 2 – Rizal’s first time away from home when he was sent to study in Binan, Laguna, as

well as his daily routines as a student; his longing for his family and his hometown

Biñan is a town about one and one-half hour’s drive from my own town, Kalamba.

My father was born in Biñan, and he wished me to go there to continue the study of Latin,

which I had just begun. He sent me over one Sunday in the care of my brother.

The parting from my family was tearful on the side of my parents and my sisters,

but I was nine years old and managed to hide my own tears. We reached Biñan at

nightfall. We went to an aunt’s house where I was to live. When the moon came up, a

cousin took me around the town. Biñan appeared to me large and wealthy but neither

attractive nor cheerful.

My brother left me after he presented me to the schoolmaster, who, it seemed, had

been his own teacher. The schoolmaster was a tall, thin man with a long neck and a sharp

nose. His body leaned slightly forward. He wore a shirt of sinamay that had been woven

by the deft fingers of Batangas women. He knew Latin and Spanish grammar by heart;

but his severity, I believe now, was too great.

This is all that I remember of him. His classroom was in his own house, only some

thirty meters from my aunt’s home.

When I entered the classroom for the first time, he said to me:

“You, do you speak Spanish?”

“A little, sir,” I answered.

“Do you know Latin?”

“Do you know Latin?”

“A little, sir,” I again answered.

Because of these answers, the teacher’s son, who was the worst boy in the class,

began to make fun of me. He was some years my elder and was taller than I, yet we had

a tussle. Somehow or other, I don’t know how, I got the better of him.

Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila by P. Jacinto

Chapter 3

memories between 1871-1872, particularly when his mother was taken away and

imprisoned, leaving them without guidance

Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila by P. Jacinto

Chapter 4&5

his time as a student in Manila, especially at the Ateneo de Municipal, the different

rules implemented by Ateneo to ensure competitiveness of its students, different

books that he read, like The Count of Monte Cristo that influenced his writing of El

Filibusterismo.

Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila by P. Jacinto

Chapter 6

dedicated to Segunda Katigbak, Rizal’s first love, remembering this period with bitterness;

however, Segunda was already engaged to someone when they met

Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila by P. Jacinto

Chapter 7

no significant events

Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila by P. Jacinto

Chapter 8

the fable of the lamp, which captures Rizal’s symbolic representation of the light.

Mercado, 1731- 1849, General Narciso Claveria

Domingo Lamco, Rizal’s great-great grandfather, adopted the name_____in_____until

______ when Governor-_________issued a decree requiring the use of Spanish

surnames. The Alonso family adopted the name Realonda. Rizal’s father, Don Francisco, chose the name RIZAL, a variation of the Spanish term ricial, meaning new pasture or greenfield.

Francisco Mercado (1818-1898)

Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 offspring of Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in

Biñan, Laguna on April 18, 1818; studied in San Jose College, Manila; and died in Manila.

Teodora Alonso (1827-1913) – Rizal’s first teacher

- Mother of Jose Rizal who was the second child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She

studied at the Colegio de Santa Rosa. She was a business-minded woman, courteous,

religious, hard-working and well-read. She was born in Santa Cruz, Manila on November 14,

1827 and died in 1913 in Manila.

- Rizal recognized the importance of mothers in inculcating this value to their children along with

the love for country as they are the first teachers of their children, at least in the traditional family

setting

Saturnina Rizal (1850-1913)

Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage.

Married Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of

Tanauan, Batangas.

Paciano Rizal (1851-1930)

Only brother of Jose Rizal and the second

child. Studied at San Jose College in Manila;

became a farmer and later a general of the

Philippine Revolution.

Narcisa Rizal (1852-1939)

The third child. married Antonio Lopez at

Morong, Rizal; a teacher and musician.

Olympia Rizal (1855-1887)

The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo;

died in 1887 from childbirth

Lucia Rizal (1857-1919)

The fifth child. Married Matriano Herbosa.

Maria Rizal (1859-1945)

The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz

of Biñan, Laguna.

Jose Rizal (1861-1896)

The second son and the seventh child. He

was executed by the Spaniards on

December 30,1896.

Concepcion Rizal (1862-1865)

The eighth child. Died at the age of three.

Josefa Rizal (1865-1945)

The ninth child.

An epileptic, died a spinster.

Trinidad Rizal (1868-1951)

The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last

of the family to die. Soledad Rizal (1870-

1929) - The youngest child; married

Pantaleon Quintero.