REPUBLIC ACT NO.

1425 (RIZAL LAW) religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, from the THE STORY OF THE RIZAL LAW
requirement of the provision contained in the second part of In 1956, Senator Claro M. Recto
AN ACT TO INCLUDE IN THE CURRICULA OF ALL PUBLIC AND
the first paragraph of this section; but not from taking the filed a measure which became the original RIZAL Bill
PRIVATE SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES COURSES
course provided for in the first part of said paragraph. Said
ON THE LIFE, WORKS AND WRITINGS OF JOSE RIZAL, recognizing the need to instill heroism among the youth at
rules and regulations shall take effect thirty (30) days after
PARTICULARLY HIS NOVELS NOLI ME TANGERE AND EL the time when the country was experiencing social turmoil. It
their publication in the Official Gazette.
FILIBUSTERISMO, AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING AND was the time when the country was being ravaged by the
DISTRIBUTION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES SECTION 2. It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and hukbalahap insurgency. The imperialist presence in the form
universities to keep in their libraries an adequate number of
WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our history, of American influence was strong in the country's economy
copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of the Noli
there is a need for a re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and political policies.
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal’s other
and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died;
works and biography. The said unexpurgated editions of the
WHEREAS, it is meet that in honoring them, particularly the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their translations in Internally the country was buffeted by corrupt party politics
national hero and patriot, Jose Rizal, we remember with English as well as other writings of Rizal shall be included in and news of political corruption was rampant. The fifties was
special fondness and devotion their lives and works that have the list of approved books for required reading in all public or indeed confusing times. This was the period when Recto
shaped the national character; private schools, colleges and universities. submitted his bill, calling for a return to patriotic values
WHEREAS, the life, works and writing of Jose Rizal, The Board of National Education shall determine the enunciated by Filipino heroes like Jose Rizal.
particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, adequacy of the number of books, depending upon the Under the bill it shall be obligatory for college and university
are a constant and inspiring source of patriotism with which enrollment of the school, college or university. student to study the life and works of Jose Rizal. The issuance
the minds of the youth, especially during their formative and of the bill was not welcomed by various quarters. The Catholic
SECTION 3. The Board of National Education shall cause the
decisive years in school, should be suffused; Church assailed the Rizal Bill as anti- Church because it forces
translation of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as
WHEREAS, all educational institutions are under the well as other writings of Jose Rizal into English, Tagalog and the students to read Rizal's works like Noli Me Tangere and El
supervision of, and subject to regulation by the State, and all the principal Philippine dialects; cause them to be printed in Filibusterismo which contain passages that were anti-Church.
schools are enjoined to develop moral character, personal cheap, popular editions; and cause them to be distributed,
discipline, civic conscience and to teach the duties of free of charge, to persons desiring to read them, through the The rationale behind the law was that there is a need to
citizenship; Now, therefore, Purok organizations and Barrio Councils throughout the rekindle and deepen the sense of nationalism and freedom of
country.
SECTION 1. Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose the people, especially of the youth. The law sought to
Rizal, particularly his novel Noli Me Tangere and El SECTION 4. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as cultivate character, discipline, and conscience and to teach
Filibusterismo, shall be included in the curricula of all schools, amendment or repealing section nine hundred twenty-seven the obligations of citizenship.
colleges and universities, public or private: Provided, That in of the Administrative Code, prohibiting the discussion of
the collegiate courses, the original or unexpurgated editions religious doctrines by public school teachers and other person The Controversy over the RIZAL LAW of 1956
of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their English engaged in any public school.
translation shall be used as basic texts.  also known as REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425
SECTION 5. The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is
The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and hereby authorized to be appropriated out of any fund not  House Bill 5561; Senate Bill 438
directed to adopt forthwith measures to implement and carry otherwise appropriated in the National Treasury to carry out
out the provisions of this Section, including the writing and the purposes of this Act.  mandates all educational institutions in the Philippines to
printing of appropriate primers, readers and textbooks. The offer courses about José Rizal.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Board shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this
Act, promulgate rules and regulations, including those of a Approved: June 12, 1956  Senator Claro M. Recto was the main proponent of the Rizal
disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the provisions of Bill.  The Republic Act was signed by the President that time,
this Act. The Board shall promulgate rules and regulations Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in Ramon Magsaysay, on June 12, 1956
providing for the exemption of students for reasons of June 1956.
THE CONTROVERSY concluded that a "majority of the Members of this Chamber,
if not all [including] our good friend, the gentleman from
The measure was strongly opposed by the Roman Catholic Sulu" believed in purgatory. The senator from Sulu, Domocao
Church in the Philippines due to the anti-clerical themes in Alonto, attacked Filipinos who proclaimed Rizal as "their
Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo. During the 1955 national hero but seemed to despise what he had written",
Senate election, the church charged Recto with being a saying that the Indonesians used Rizal's books as their Bible
communist and an anti-Catholic. After Recto's election, the on their independence movement; Pedro López, who hails
Church continued to oppose the bill mandating the reading of from Cebu, Cuenco's province, in his support for the bill,
Rizal's novels Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo, claiming reasoned out that it was in their province the independence
it would violate freedom of conscience and religion. In the movement started, when Lapu-Lapu fought Ferdinand
campaign to oppose the Rizal bill, the Catholic Church urged Magellan.
its adherents to write to their congressmen and senators
showing their opposition to the bill; later, it organized Outside the Senate, the Catholic schools threatened to close
symposiums. In one of these symposiums, Fr. Jesus Cavanna down if the bill was passed; Recto countered that if that
argued that the novels belonged to the past and that teaching happened, the schools would be nationalized. Recto did not
them would misrepresent current conditions. Radio believe the threat, stating that the schools were too
commentator Jesus Paredes also said that Catholics had the profitable to be closed. The schools gave up the threat, but
right to refuse to read them as it would "endanger their threatened to "punish" legislators in favor of the law in future
salvation". Groups such as Catholic Action of the Philippines, elections. A compromise was suggested, to use the
the Congregation of the Mission, the Knights of Columbus, expurgated version; Recto, who had supported the required
and the Catholic Teachers Guild organized opposition to the reading of the unexpurgated version, declared: "The people
bill; they were countered by Veteranos de la Revolucion who would eliminate the books of Rizal from the schools
(Spirit of 1896), Alagad ni Rizal, the Freemasons, and the would blot out from our minds the memory of the national
Knights of Rizal. The Senate Committee on Education hero. This is not a fight against Recto but a fight against Rizal",
sponsored a bill co- written by both José P. Laurel and Recto, adding that since Rizal is dead, they are attempting to
with the only opposition coming from Francisco Soc Rodrigo, suppress his memory.
Mariano Jesús Cuenco, and Decoroso Rosales. They argued On May 12, 1956, a compromise inserted by Committee on
that it will be a violation of religious violation of religious Education chairman Laurel that accommodated the
freedom. objections of the Catholic Church was approved unanimously.
The bill specified that only college (university) students would
The Archbishop of Manila, Rufino Santos, protested in a have the option of reading unexpurgated versions of
pastoral letter that Catholic students would be affected if clerically-contested reading material, such as Noli Me
compulsory reading of the unexpurgated version were Tángere and El Filibusterismo.
pushed through.[4] Arsenio Lacson, Manila's mayor, who
supported the bill, walked out of Mass when the priest read a The conflict reached the HoR on April 19, 1956 when Cong.
circular from the archbishop denouncing the bill. Jacobo Z. Gonzales introduced H.B. No. 5561. Notable
Rizal, according to Cuenco, "attack[ed] dogmas, beliefs and defenders of the bill in the House were Cong. Emilio Cortez,
practices of the Church. The assertion that Rizal limited Mario Bengzon, Joaquin R. Roces, and W. Rancap Lagumbay.
himself to castigating undeserving priests and refrained from Among the outspoken opponents were Cong. Ramon Durano,
criticizing, ridiculing or putting in doubt dogmas of the Jose Nuguid, Marciano Lim, Manuel Zosa, Lucas Paredes,
Catholic Church, is absolutely gratuitous and misleading." Godofredo Ramos, Miguel Cuenco, Carmen D. Consing, and
Cuenco touched on Rizal's denial of the existence of Tecla San Andres Ziga.
purgatory, as it was not found in the Bible, and that Moses
and Jesus Christ did not mention its existence; Cuenco