CHAPTER 1: HOW JOSE RIZAL WAS CHOSEN AS NATIONAL HERO

_{Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Alonzo Y Realonda}

Jose Rizal’s full name

Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo

These novels paved the way to Philippine Revolution of 1896

“The pen is mightier than the sword”

The proverb that was quoted by Dr. Jose Rizal in both his novels

1. He was the Filipino to unite and awaken the Filipino people to peacefully rise for independence

2. He is a model for being a peacemaker

3. He was a towering figure in the Propaganda movement from 1882-1896

4. He was a martyr at Bagumbayan where he willingly died for our country

REASONS WHY RIZAL CHOSEN & DECLARED AS PHILIPPINE GREATEST NATIONAL HERO

Greatest Philippine National Hero

Dr. Jose Rizal was chosen not just as a national hero but also as a?

Napoleon

A conqueror and ruler said, “There are only two powers in the world”, the sword and pen, and in the end, the former is always conquered by latter

Thomas Browne

“Scholars are men of peace, they bear no harms, but their tongues are sharper than the sword”

1956

What year was R.A 1425 enacted?

_{THE RIZAL LAW REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425}

• It mandates that all educational institutions in the Philippines must include José Rizal's life, works, and writings in their curricula, particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

• 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

  • This law promotes a deeper understanding of Rizal’s role in the country's history.

6

How many sections does the Rizal bill have?

Section 1

Identify which section of the Rizal bill:

• 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.

• Schools, colleges, and universities (both public and private) must include courses about Jose Rizal's life, works, and writings, especially Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

• College-level courses should use the original or unedited versions of these novels or their English translations as basic texts.

Section 2

Identify which section of the Rizal bill:

• The Board of National Education is tasked with translating these works into English, Filipino, and other dialects.

• 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.

• Cheap editions should be distributed for free.

• Schools must have enough copies of the original and unedited versions of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in their libraries, along with other works and biographies of Rizal.

• These books, in their original form or translated into English, must be part of the list of approved reading materials in all schools.

Section 3

Identify which section of the Rizal bill:

• Schools must maintain sufficient copies of Rizal’s works in their libraries.

• 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

• The Board of National Education is responsible for translating Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as Rizal's other works, into English, Tagalog, and other major Philippine languages.

• These translations should be printed in affordable versions and distributed for free to anyone interested, through local organizations.

Section 4

Identify which section of the Rizal bill:

• Ensures that no specific religious belief is disrespected through the teaching of

• 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 persons engaged in any public school.

• The Act does not change the rule that public school teachers and others working in public schools cannot discuss religious teachings in school.

Section 5

Identify which section of the Rizal bill:

• 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.

• A budget of three hundred thousand pesos is set aside from the National Treasury to support the implementation of this Act.

Section 6

Identify which section of the Rizal bill:

• This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

• The Act will take effect once it is approved.

Senator Claro M. Recto

Proposed the Rizal Law

Sen. Jose P. Laurel

Sponsored the Rizal Law as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education

Catholic Church

The Rizal Law met intense opposition from this institution

Being a communist and anti-christ

The Catholic Church accused Claro Recto and Jose Laurel of what?

Archbishop of Manila, Rufino Santos

Requested to only require the “expurgated/censored” version of RIzal’s 2 novels

A number of Catholic schools threatened to close down

What did the Catholic schools threaten if the Rizal Bill became law?

Senator Recto responded by saying the government would simply take over the administration of these schools if they closed, and nationalize them.

What was Recto’s response to the Catholic schools’ threat?

• “This is not a fight against Recto but a fight against Rizal,”

• The people who would eliminate the books of Rizal from the schools would blot out from our minds the memory of the national hero.

What did Recto say about the people who would eliminate the books of Rizal from the schools?

1. Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo

2. Mariano Quenco

3. Decoroso Rosales

4. Catholic Action of the Philippines

5. Congregation of the Mission

6. Knights of Columbus

7. Catholic Teachers Guild

SENATORS AND GROUPS WHO OPPOSED THE BILL

1. Senator Lorenzo Tanada, Quintin Paredes and Domocao Alonto of Mindanao.

2. Favored by Representatives from House Congressmen Jacobo Gonzales, Emilio Cortez, Mario Bengson, Joaquin Roxas, LancapLagubay and Pedro Lopez.

3. Other supporters of the bill were Mayor Arsenio Lacson who called the anti-rizal bill “bigoted and intolerant” and left mass when the priest read a pastoral letter from the Archbishop condemning the Rizal Bill.

SUPPORTERS OF THE RIZAL BILL

Mayor Arsenio Lacson

Called the anti-rizal bill “bigoted and intolerant” and left mass when the priest read a pastoral letter from the Archbishop condemning the Rizal Bill.

• The two novels are no longer compulsory at the elementary and secondary levels but strictly observed at the college level.

• Senator Lim proposed the exemption to students who feel that reading Rizal’s novels will negatively affect their faith.

• Senator Primicias made an additional amendment stating the rules and regulations on obtaining exemption only for reading two novels by written statement or affidavit and not for taking the Rizal Course.

APPROVED AMENDMENTS OF THE RIZAL BILL

May 17, 1956

When was the bill was passed for hearing

June 12, 1956

When was the bill enacted/approved and signed into law by President Ramon Magsaysay?

August 12, 1956

When did the law take effect?

• The Rizal Bill served as a rededication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism.

• The purpose of the BIll was to raise awareness of Rizal’s work and his role in opposing Spanish tyranny

• A course on Rizal’s life, works, and writings is also a lesson in critical thinking.

• His novels provide insights on how to deal with current problems.

Supporting arguments for the Rizal Bill

• It is blasphemous

• It violates freedom of conscience

• It belong to the past and misrepresent current situations

• It violates Canon Law 1388 ( No book should ridicule any Catholic Dogmas)

OPPOSING ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE RIZAL BILL