THE RIZAL LAW,
LITERATURE & SOCIETY
(CHAPTER 1)
REFERENCE:MAGHUYOP, ET.AL.(2018).The Life and Works of Jose Rizal.Mutya Publishing
House,Inc.
Educational Institutions in the Philippines are
mandated to include Rizal’s life and writing in the
curriculum
Republic Act No. 1425 or “RIZAL LAW”
HISTORY Obliged all public and private schools, colleges, and
universities nationwide to educate students about
OF Rizal’s views which were greatly depicted in his famous
writings like the Noli and El Fili
RIZAL LAW Catholic Church condemned Rizal’s firmness toward
the abuses of the Spaniards and the role played by the
Catholic Church to promote such misconduct during
those days
Roman Catholic Church in Philippines strongly
opposed printing and distribution of Rizal’s work
because they would corrupt the Catholic faith of the
HISTORY new generation
OF Opposition persisted until the 1955 Senate Election
RIZAL LAW Sen. Claro M. Recto-main proponent of the bill and
sought sponsorship to accuse the opposition as
communist action.
Catholic churches argued: The bill defied the freedom
of religion
Fr. Jesus Cavanna stated that Rizal’s works in view of
the past injustices would corrupt the present setup of
Catholic churches in the country
Archbishop Rufino Santos of Manila-asserted that
HISTORY Catholic students would be affected if the mandatory
OF reading of uncensored writings of Rizal would prevail
RIZAL LAW Mariano Cuenco-argued that Rizal directly attacked
the practices, beliefs and creed of the Church
Led to the threatening of various Catholic schools to
close down if the bill was passed
OPPOSITION OF THE BILL SUPPORTERS OF THE BILL
Catholic Action of the Veteranos la Revolucion
Philippines (Spirit of 1896)
Congregation of The Mission Alagad ni Rizal
HISTORY Knights of Columbus Freemason
OF Catholic Teachers Guild Knights of Rizal
RIZAL LAW Francisco Soc Rodrigo Jose P. Laurel
Mariano Jesus Cuenco Senate Committee on
Education
Decoroso Rosales
Counterattacks:
Jesus Paredes, a radio commentator, argued that
Catholics were not deprived of their right to
HISTORY decline reading Rizal’s novels if they felt like they
could threaten their salvation
OF Closing of Catholic schools: Recto-said that if such
RIZAL LAW dilemma in the educational sector happened,
schools would be nationalized
Recto argued that the people who eliminated
Rizal’s writings from schools buried his memories
as national hero. Its not a fight against him but
fight against Rizal
The Chairman of the Committee of Education catered
to the views of the Catholic Church and made
adjustments to compromise the opposition and the
HISTORY approbation of the supporters of the Rizal bill
OF May 12, 1956, the inserted compromise (contents) on
the bill, which specified that only college (university)
RIZAL LAW students would have the option of reading
unexpurgated versions of clerically contested reading
materials, such as Noli and El Fili, was approved
unanimously. The bill was enacted on June 12, 1956
March 28, 1983-Pres. Fidel v. Ramos issued Executive
HONORING Order No. 75 titled “Creating the National Heroes
Committee under the Office of the President”
FILIPINO The committee was created to learn, assess, and
NATIONAL suggest national personalities in recognition of the
HEROES impact that such people made on Philippine history
Criteria that would be officially proclaimed as national
heroes: (Submitted by National Heroes Committee)
HONORING 1. Heroes are those who have a concept of nation and
thereafter aspire and struggle for the nations’
FILIPINO freedom, heroes are those who define and contribute
NATIONAL to a system or life of freedom
HEROES 2. And order for a nation
3. Heroes are those who contributed to the quality of
life and destiny of a nation
Rizal was equipped with extraordinary literary skills
Rizal masterpieces, the Noli Me Tangere and its sequel
El Filibusterismo. The Noli dealt with the country’s
present and the Fili pointed to its future.
PHILIPPINE Considered as constant and inspiring sources of
NATIONAL patriotism and nationalism for the youth during their
formative years
LITERATURE
The novels portrayed the Filipino people whose
national character had been shaped by literary works
and the reading of these works
Rizal’s remarks of Morgas’ sucesos de las Islas Filipinas
traced the lineament of the country’s past.
PHILIPPINE
Writing had become his tool for reforms to awaken the
NATIONAL filipinos from the abuses that the colonizer’s had been
LITERATURE doing for centuries in the country
Literature gives importance to nationalism
Literature has always been reliant on history, bringing
people back to the past where social, psychological,
and linguistic resources portray old events that impact
the present time
PHILIPPINE 2 Presuppositions exist in the vitality on nationalism
NATIONAL accorded to literary works and vice versa:
LITERATURE 1. The ability of literature to honestly present history
and to intervene in history
2. It opens the door leading to significant events, which
describe certain setups, behaviors and current image
of society today (Mojares, 2013)
Literature can be a good basis of history and taking a
glance of the past attributes of Filipinos
Intervening Function:
Rizal’s novel were artefactual: mixture of reality best
PHILIPPINE portrayed by fiction characters, which represents the
people back then.
NATIONAL It was all result of Rizal’s observations and experiences
LITERATURE in the Philippine society
Literature was his way of showcasing society’s creative
hard work and ambitions.
Filipinos back then were able to acquire, preserve, and
reshape their culture through literature
Literature is a good driving tool to execute authority
and command one’s country
PHILIPPINE Rizal argues that Tagalog literature is living and
vigorous
NATIONAL Through writing people can exercise authority, hence,
LITERATURE Filipinos ought to be participative in the literary field,
esp. in matters affecting the country as a whole
Rizal has written a Tagalog novel after the appearance
of El Fili
1891-1892, he wrote his 3rd novel “Makamisa”
This novel was written for the Tagalog readers and not
PHILIPPINE for the Europeans.
NATIONAL At the time he had written such novel he was on his
LITERATURE way back to the Philippines, and the propaganda
movement was starting to shift
His motive was to write a novel that would deal
exclusively with the usages, virtues, and defects of the
Tagalogs
Though it was aborted (his 3rd novel), Rizal’s
PHILIPPINE “turn to the native” was not in vain, if taken as
NATIONAL a sign of the desire for a literature more deeply
LITERATURE anchored in the realities of home (Mojares,
2013)
THE END
