R.A.

1425: THE RIZAL LAW discipline, civic conscience and to

It was written by Sen. Jose P. Laurel with a teach the duties of citizenship;
comprised version of House Bill no. 5561
which came out on April 19, 1956 in the
House of Representatives and Senate Bill SECTION 1
no. 428 on April 3, 1956 by then Committee • Courses on the life, works and
on Education, led by Cong. Jacobo Gonzales writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his
and Sen. Claro Recto known as Noli-Fili Bill. novel Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, shall be included in
AN ACT TO INCLUDE IN THE CURRICULA OF the curricula of all schools, colleges
ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, and universities, public or private:
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES COURSES ON Provided, That in the collegiate
THE LIFE, WORKS AND WRITINGS OF JOSE courses, the original or unexpurgated
RIZAL, PARTICULARLY HIS NOVELS NOLI ME editions of the Noli Me Tangere and
TANGERE AND EL FILIBUSTERISMO, El Filibusterismo or their English
AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING AND translation shall be used as basic
DISTRIBUTION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER texts.
PURPOSES.
• WHEREAS, today, more than any • The Board of National Education is
other period of our history, there is a hereby authorized and directed to
need for a re-dedication to the ideals adopt forthwith measures to
of freedom and nationalism for implement and carry out the
which our heroes lived and died; provisions of this Section, including
• WHEREAS, it is meet that in honoring the writing and printing of
them, particularly the national hero appropriate primers, readers and
and patriot, Jose Rizal, we remember textbooks. The Board shall, within
with special fondness and devotion sixty (60) days from the effectivity of
their lives and works that have this Act, promulgate rules and
shaped the national character; regulations, including those of a
• WHEREAS, the life, works and writing disciplinary nature, to carry out and
of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels enforce the provisions of this Act. The
Noli Me Tangere and El Board shall promulgate rules and
Filibusterismo, are a constant and regulations providing for the
inspiring source of patriotism with exemption of students for reasons of
which the minds of the youth, religious belief stated in a sworn
especially during their formative and written statement, from the
decisive years in school, should be requirement of the provision
suffused; contained in the second part of the
• WHEREAS, all educational first paragraph of this section; but
institutions are under the supervision not from taking the course provided
of, and subject to regulation by the for in the first part of said paragraph.
State, and all schools are enjoined to Said rules and regulations shall take
develop moral character, personal effect thirty (30) days after their
publication in the Official Gazette.
 • Nothing in this Act shall be
construed as amendment or
SECTION 2 repealing section nine hundred
• It shall be obligatory on all schools, twenty-seven of the
colleges and universities to keep in Administrative Code, prohibiting
their libraries an adequate number of the discussion of religious
copies of the original and doctrines by public school
unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me teachers and other person
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well engaged in any public school.
as of Rizal’s other works and
biography. The said unexpurgated
editions of the Noli Me Tangere and SECTION 5
El Filibusterismo or their translations • The sum of three hundred
in English as well as other writings of thousand pesos is hereby
Rizal shall be included in the list of authorized to be appropriated
approved books for required reading out of any fund not otherwise
in all public or private schools, appropriated in the National
colleges and universities. Treasury to carry out the
• The Board of National Education shall purposes of this Act.
determine the adequacy of the
number of books, depending upon
the enrollment of the school, college SECTION 6
or university. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 12, 1956

SECTION 3 Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52,
• The Board of National Education No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956.
shall cause the translation of the
Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, as well as other Thus, it would seem were partly fulfilled the
writings of Jose Rizal into words of Rizal himself who, speaking
English, Tagalog and the principal through Filosofo Tasio in Noli Me Tangere,
Philippine dialects; cause them said:
to be printed in cheap, popular “I am writing for the generations of
editions; and cause them to be Filipinos yet to come, a generation that will
distributed, free of charge, to be enlightened and educated, a generation
persons desiring to read them, that will read my books and appreciate
through the Purok organizations them without condemning me as a heretic”
and Barrio Councils throughout
the country.

SECTION 4
 ➢ NOLI-FILI/RIZAL BILL: ONE OF THE • The Archbishop of Manila, Rufino Santos,
MOST CONTROVERSIAL BILLS IN protested in a pastoral letter that
PHIL HISTORY Catholic students would be affected if
It is normal for bills to be debated in the compulsory reading of the unexpurgated
upper and lower house of the Congress, but version were pushed through. Arsenio
the trial that the Noli-Fili/Rizal Bill Lacson, Manila's mayor, who supported
underwent was beyond normal. With the the bill, walked out of Mass when the
sponsors of the bill and the opposition not priest read a circular from the archbishop
only coming from the people inside of the denouncing the bill.
Legislative Arm but also the inclusion of the
Catholic Church in the debates for this bill. “Rizal’s novels belonged to the past and
that teaching them would misrepresent
current conditions.”
• RECTO'S RIZAL BILL - passed into law in - Father Jesus Cavanna
1956
•(R.A. No. 1425) • On May 12, 1956, the Senate Committee
Catholic hierarchy found 170 passages in Noli on Education headed by Senator Jose P.
and Fili offensive to Catholic Faith Laurel Jr. issued an amendments to the
In 1956 the very same obscurantism that bill. It was based on the suggestions of
banned Rizal's book in 1887 was still Senators Roseller Lim and Emmanuel
operative Pelaez. According to the amendments,
• Catholic threatened to close shop - Recto the students are longer required to use
told them to go ahead so Catholic schools the unexpurgated version of Noli and Fili,
can be nationalized if they find the original versions attacking
Church threatened not to vote legislators in their faith. This led to the end of the
future elections but Recto was undaunted, controversy of the bill.
he was willing to risk his principles (and even
his political career). BAKIT BA SI RIZAL ANG ATING
PAMBANSANG BAYANI?
OPPOSITION TO RIZAL LAW Search Committee for National Hero under
NOTABLE PERSONALITIES WHO OPPOSED Taft Commission, American Civil
THE BILL: Government, Philippines
1. Decoroso Rosales 1. William Howard Taft
2. Mariano Cuenco 2. Morgan Shuster
3. Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo 3. Bernard Moses
4. Dean Worcester
• Groups such as Catholic Action of the 5. Henry C. Ide
Philippines, the Congregation of the 6. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera
Mission, the Knights of Columbus, and 7. Gregorio Araneta
the Catholic Teachers Guild organized 8. Cayetano Arellano
opposition to the bill; they were 9. Jose Luzurriaga
countered by Veteranos de la Revolucion
(Spirit of 1896), Alagad ni Rizal, the Requirements to become National Hero:
Freemasons, and the Knights of Rizal. 1. Filipino
 2. Dead threatened to abandon their parishes
3. Exhibited Nationalism and if the bishops persisted.
Patriotism
4. Has calm heart • In 1774, Archbishop Basilio Santa
Justa decided to uphold the diocese’s
Candidates for National Hero authority over the parishes and
1. Marcelo H. Del Pilar accepted the resignations of the
2. Graciano Lopez Jaena regular priests.
3. Antonio Luna • He assigned secular priests to take
4. Emilio Jacinto their place. Since there were not
5. Jose Rizal enough seculars to fill all the
vacancies the Archbishop hastened
the ordination of Filipino seculars.
***********************************
• A royal decree was also issued on
INTRACLERGY CONFLICTS AND THE November 9, 1774, which provided
CAVITE MUTINY for the secularization of all parishes
or the transfer of parochial
THE SECULARIZATION CONTROVERSY administration from the regular friars
• Two kinds of priests served the to the secular priests.
Catholic Church in the Philippines. • The regulars resented the move
• Regulars- Regular priests belonged because they considered the Filipinos
to religious orders. Their main task unfit for the priesthood. Among
was to spread Christianity. Examples other reasons they cited the Filipinos’
were the Franciscans, brown skin, lack of education, and
Recollects, Dominicans and inadequate experience.
Augustinians.
• Seculars- Secular priests did not • The controversy became more
belong to any religious order. They intense when the Jesuits returned to
were trained specifically to run the the Philippines. They had been exiled
parishes and were under the from the country because of certain
supervision of the bishops. policies of the order that the Spanish
authorities did not like.
• The issue soon took on a racial slant.
• Conflict began when the bishops The Spaniards were clearly favoring
insisted on visiting the parishes that their own regular priest over Filipino
were being run by regular priests. It priests.
was their duty, they argued, to check
on the administration of these • Monsignor Pedro Pelaez,
parishes. ecclesiastical governor of the Church,
• But the regular priests refused these sided with the Filipinos.
visits, saying that they were not Unfortunately, he died in an
under the bishop’s jurisdiction. They
 earthquake that destroyed the Apolonio Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora,
Manila Cathedral in 1863. three Filipino priests who were
• After his death, other priests took his executed on 17 February 1872 at
place in fighting for the secularization Bagumbayan in Manila, Philippines
movement. Among them by Spanish colonial authorities on
were Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose charges of subversion arising from
Burgos and Jacinto Zamora. the 1872 Cavite mutiny. Their
execution left a profound effect on
many Filipinos; José Rizal, the
• CAVITE MUTINY national hero, would dedicate his
novel El filibusterismo to their
• Meaningful History memory
• Remarkable event during 19th • Mariano Gómez
Century in the Philippines: Cavite José Apolonio Burgos
Mutiny 1872 Jacinto Zamora
• The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was an
uprising of military personnel of Fort ********************************
San Felipe, the Spanish arsenal in
Cavite, Philippines on January 20, 19TH CENTURY PHILIPPINES AND
1872. Around 200 soldiers and SPANISH COLONIZATION
laborers rose up in the belief that it
would elevate to a national uprising. Pacto de Sangre: Why we were conquered?
Pacto de Sangre
• Spaniards call this “Pacto de Sangre”.
• The mutiny was unsuccessful, and For them, blood is sacred. Blood is life.
government soldiers executed many To sign an agreement with blood is to
of the participants and began to crack sign with one’s life. It becomes a
down on a burgeoning nationalist bond to protect and honor the
movement. Many scholars believe agreement with one’s life. To enter
that the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was into a blood compact is to enter to a
the beginning of Filipino nationalism lifetime oath.
that would eventually lead to the • It is an ancient ritual in
Philippine Revolution of 1896. the Philippines intended to seal a
• This event has been unforgettable friendship or treaty, or to validate an
and reflected in the 12 events that agreement. The contracting parties
changed influenced the Philippine would cut their wrists and pour their
History in a major way. blood into a cup filled with liquid,
such as wine, and drink the mixture.
• GOMBURZA EXECUTION
• This event is meaningful to the • This Sikatuna-Legaspi blood compact
following Filipinos – Gomburza [an is considered as the First Treaty of
acronym denoting the surnames of Friendship between two different
the priests Mariano Gómez, José races, religions, cultures and
civilizations. It was a treaty of
 friendship based on respect and mistook them as Portuguese who
equality. had come to plunder and kill.
• A similar ritual was practiced by • With the help of his Malay pilot,
initiates into the 19th century Legazpi was able to explain to Datu
revolutionary group, the Katipunan. Sikatuna of Bohol and Datu Sigala of
Though they did not consume their Loboc that they were not
blood, they used it to sign their Portuguese and that they had come
membership contracts. to offer peace.
• Thus, a blood compact was done in
SANDUGO order to seal their friendship and
• The Sandugo was a blood compact, establish amicable bonds between
performed in the island of Bohol in the two parties.
the Philippines, between
the Spanish explorer Miguel López
de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna the • At present, the compact made
chieftain of Bohol on March 16, 1565, between Sikatuna and Legazpi is
to seal their friendship as part of the celebrated and commemorated
tribal tradition. annually and called
• "Sandugo" is a Visayan word which the Sandugo Festival in Bohol. It
means "one blood". involves a reenactment of the blood
compact, a religious mass and parade
HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS on the streets and the search for the
• Earlier, more than 40 years after Miss Bohol beauty pageant.
Ferdinand Magellan died in the Battle
of Mactan in Cebu, Legazpi was TRADITION
ordered by Spain in 1564 to launch an • In honor of this ceremony, the
expedition to establish colonies and former President of the
to pick up a lucrative spice trade. Philippines Elpidio
• After almost a year of sailing, the Quirino established the Order of
Legazpi expedition reached the Sikatuna, a presidential decoration
Philippines and landed first on the conferred upon politicians.
island of Cibabao (present day • Juan Luna, a Filipino painter, depicted
Samar) but failed to settle there. this event in his painting entitled The
• He and his companions went off to Blood Compact (Spanish: El Pacto de
sail south, to the direction of Sangre) in 1883. El Pacto de
Mindanao, but due to the winds, his Sangre obtained the first prize
ship was forced to take the route in Paris in 1885 and at the Louisiana
back to the Visayas. Purchase Exposition of St. Louis in
1904.
• At that period, it was an important
• Legazpi landed on the shores of part for tribes to perform
Bohol, but they were given a hostile the sandugo as part of the peace
welcome by the Boholanos, who process. A monument was
 constructed in Tagbilaran City by the settlement for Chinese immigrants
Philippine Historical Committee and (the Spanish called the
the National Historical Institute. Chinese sangleys)
who converted to Catholicism .
• It was across the river from the
• ASCENDANCE OF CHINESE walled city of Intramuros, where the
MESTIZOS Spaniards resided. Originally it was
intended to replace the Parian near
• Categories provided for by Spanish Intramuros, where the Chinese were
legation first confined.
• Chinese- pure Chinese from China • The Spanish gave a land grant for
• Mestizo - half breed Binondo to a group of Chinese
• Indio- natives merchants and artisans in perpetuity,
tax-free and with limited self-
• Rights of Mestizos and Indios governing privileges.
• Geographic mobility
• To own property
• Participate in town Government • The Spanish Dominican fathers made
Binondo their parish and succeeded
in converting many of the residents
Tax Payer categories to Catholicism.
• Those who did not pay the tribute • Binondo soon became the place
• Indios where Chinese immigrants converted
• Chinese to Catholicism, intermarried
• Mestizo with indigenous Filipino women and
had children, who became the
Policy of compartmentalization Chinese mestizo community.
• Compartmentalization is an • Over the years, the Chinese mestizo
unconscious psychological defense population of Binondo grew rapidly.
mechanism used to avoid cognitive This was caused mainly because the
dissonance, or the mental discomfort lack of Chinese immigrant females
and anxiety caused by a person's and the Spanish officials' policy of
having conflicting values, cognitions, expelling or killing (in conflicts)
emotions, beliefs, etc. within Chinese immigrants who refused to
themselves. convert.
• Spanish dilemma
• Unable to live without the Chinese
INQUILINO SYSTEM
• Unable to live with them
• Inquilino- tenant
• Inquilino is a labourer indebted to a
Binondo
landlord who allows him to form a
• Founded in 1594, Binondo was
farm in parts of his property (usually
created by Spanish Governor Luis
in the marginal lands to keep away
Pérez Dasmariñas as a permanent
 intruders) and who in exchange AGRARIAN RELATIONS AND THE FRIAR LANDS
works without pay for the landlord
• Land tenancy system
• Pacto de Retro -contract of retro
session
• Gremio -guild, union; especially: an
employers' association in some
European and Latin American
countries.

Chinese Mestizos
• Traders
• Leased farm lands from monastic
estates
• Shared tenancy with indios
• Used sanglang-bili or pacto de
retroventa to acquire more land

Society
• Related to the indios as if equal but, • Barangay
in reality, they were at a higher • Personal possessions are important
financial situation • Abundant resources
• Did not cultivate the farm but has • Debt as not caused by poverty but as
capital for production • lacking of resources for certain
occasions;
• paid in double
People (Indios) • Not a "family-based" community
• Kasama of mestizos in cultivating the
land Datu
• Pawned his land for money for • Protector of the Barangay / Father
cockfighting and gambling - • Is the sole authority of the Barangay
Continued to loan from Mestizos • Has control over surplus resources
(perpetual indebtedness) -Chose to • Traded
work with mestizos to "enjoy the • Owns the largest patch of land
benefits of unfolding era"
People
• Did not feel oppressed; In serving the
Land Datu, they were serving themselves
• Kasamahan system • Gave "tributes" to the Datu from
• Agsa Tenants their own produce (buwis)
Society almost died during the delivery
• Fear and reverence towards the Datu because of his big head.
have diminished • He was baptized in the Catholic
• Natives were Catholicized church of his town on June 22,
• Indios became peasants 1861 aged 3 days old, by the
parish Priest, Father Rufino
• Law on debts: no more than 5pesos
Collantes (Batangueno).
• Indios' liberation from tradition
• His Godfather was Father Pedro
Casanas. native of Calamba and
People close friend of Rizal family
• “Jose” his name was chosen by
• Belief in suwerte, malas, kapalaran his mother who was a devotee of
and sugal Christian Saint St. Joseph (San
• Excessive gambling that led to their Jose).
peasantry • Father Collantes was impressed
• Indios opted to work on monastic of by the baby’s big head, and
estates for pride and privilege told the members of the family
who were present:
Friars “Take good care of this child, for
someday he will become a great
• Owned lands donated to them by
man.”
Spaniards and the native elites
• Replaced the role of Datu and ➢ Leutenant General Jose Lemery
babaylan
• Kept surplus produce • a former senator of Spain was the
governor general of the Philippines
Friar Estates when Rizal was born. He governed
• Friars imposed too high rents for the the Philippines from February 2,
tenants 1861 - July 7, 1862
• They were exempted from
government taxes
Rizal’s Parents
• They were still collecting tributes
from the laborers
➢ Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y
Alejandra II (1818 – 1898)
************************************ • Born in Biñan, Laguna on May
Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso 11,1818.
Realonda • Studied in Latin and Philosophy at
the College of San Jose in Manila.
• Rizal’s birthdate: June 19, 1861
(Wednesday midnight) • He was a hardly an independent-
minded man, who talked less and
• In the Lakeshore town of
worked more, and was strong
Calamba, Laguna. His mother
in body and valiant in spirit.
 • He died in Manila on January o she married to Antonino
5,1898 at the age of 80. Lopez (nephew of Father
Leoncio Lopez) a school
➢ Teodora "Donya Lolay" Morales teacher of Morong.
Alonzo Realonda y Quintos 4. Olimpia (1855-1887)
o “Ypia” was her pet name.
• Born on November 9, 1827 in o she is married to Silvestre
Meisik (Chinatown), Tondo, Ubaldo a telegraph operator
Manila from Manila.
• She was educated at the College 5. Lucia (1857 - 1919)
of Sta. Rosa, a well-known college o she is married to Mariano
for girls in the city.
Herbosa.
• She was a remarkable
o she died of cholera.
woman, possessing refined
6. Maria (1859 - 1945)
culture, literary talent, business,
ability and a fortified of Spartan o “Biang” was her nickname.
woman. o she married to Daniel
• She died in Manila on August 16, Faustino Cruz of Binan,
1911 at the age of 85. Laguna.
7. Jose (1861-1896)
o The greatest Filipino hero and
peerless genius.
THE RIZAL CHILDREN o “Pepe” was his nickname.
o he lived with Josephine
1. Saturnina (1850-1913) Bracken , an Irish girl from
o “Neneng” is her Nickname Hong Kong during his exile in
o Oldest of the Rizal children
Dapitan.
o She is married to Manuel T.
o he had a son by her but this
Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas.
2. Paciano (1851-1930) baby boy died a few hours
o Older brother and confidant after birth. Pepe named him
of Jose Rizal. “Francisco” after his father
o Rizal’s only brother who was and buried
10 years his senior and was o him in Dapitan.
more than that of younger to 8. Concepcion (1862-1865)
older brother. He was a o “Concha” was her nickname.
second father to Rizal and he o she died of sickness at the age
immortalized in his first novel of 3.
Noli Me Tangere as the “Wise o her death was Rizal’s first
Pilosopo Tacio.” sorrow in life.
o He died on April 30, 1930.
9. Josefa (1865-1945)
3. Narcisa (1852-1939)
o her nickname was “Panggoy”.
o her nickname is “Sisa”.
 o she died an old maid in 1945 Mother’s Side
at the age 80.
10. Trinidad (1868-1951)
o “Trining” was her nickname.
o she died also an old maid in
1951 at the ageof 83.
11. Soledad (1870-1929)
o youngest of the Rizal children.
o “Choleng” was her pet name.
o She is married to Pantaleon
Quintero of Calamba

RIZAL ‘S ANCESTRY
The Surname Rizal
• Rizal was a product of the mixture of • Real surname of the Rizal Family was
races. (Negrito, Indonesian, Malay, Mercado which means “market”. It
Chinese, Japanese and Spanish). was adopted in 1731 by Domingo
Predominantly, he was aMalayan Lameo (the paternal great-great
and was a Magnificent specimen of grandfather of Jose Rizal), also
Asian manhood. a full- blooded chinese. Rizal’s family
acquired a second surname – Rizal
Father’s Side which was given by Spanish alcalde
mayor of Laguna.
• “I am the only Rizal because at home
my parents, my sisters, my brother
and my relatives have always
preferred our old surname
Mercado……….…………………………………
..……My family did not pay much
attention to this, but now I have use
it. In this way, it seems that I am an
illegitimate son.”

• The Spanish term Mercado means THE RIZAL HOME

“market” in English
• The house of Rizal family was one of
the distinguished stone houses in
Calamba during Spanish time. It was
a two storey building, rectangular in
shape, built of adobe stones and
 hand – wood, and roofed with red • They believed in the maxim: “Spare
tiles. Behind the house were the the rod and spoil the child”.
poultry yard full of turkeys and
chickens and a big garden of topical
fruit trees – atis, balimbing, chico,
macopa, papaya, santol, etc.

A GOOD MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILY

• The Rizal family belonged to the

principalia, a aristocracy in Spanish
Philippines. It was one of the
distinguish families in Calamba.
• Beneath their roof, all guests
irrespective of their color,
rank, social position, and economic
status, were welcome.

SOURCES OF INCOME

• Harvested rice, corns and sugarcane

• Raised pigs, chickens and turkeys in
their backyard
• Good stores and a small flour-mill
and a home-made religious ham
press which managed by Doña
Teodora

HOME LIFE OF RIZAL

• The Rizal family had a simple,

contented and happy life.
• Don Francisco and Doña Teodora
loved their children but, they never
spoiled them. They were strict
parents and they trained their
children to love God, to behave well,
to be obedient and to respect
people especially the old folks.