Senate bill 438 known as Rizal Bill which was first

authored by Senator Claro M. Recto – requiring the inclusion

Normally, before the bill was approved and implemented in all schools
and was signed into a law known as Republic Act 1425, it had been brought to
the Upper and Lower House of the Congress for deliberations. But what made it
controversial is that the bill was not just fiercely opposed by people from
Legislative Arm but also by the Catholic Church due to the inclusion of
compulsory reading of Rizal’s novels in which according to them, catholic dogmas
are humiliated.
● Oppositions argued that the bill would go against freedom of conscience
and religion
● The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) submitted
a pastoral letter to which according, Rizal violated Canon Law 1399 which
forbids or bans books that attack or ridicule the catholic doctrine and
practices.
● Oppositors argued that among the 333 pages of Noli Me Tangere, only 25
passages are nationalistic while 120 passages are anti-catholic. While
upon scrutiny of the two novels by some members of catholic hierarchical,
170 passages in Noli Me Tangere and 50 in El Filibusterismo are
against catholic faith.
● oppositors pointed out that Rizal admitted that he did not only attack the
friars who acted deceptively on the Filipinos but also the catholic faith itself.
● They suggested a reading material for students as to what they called
Rizalian Anthology, a collection of Rizal’s literary works that contain the
patriotic philosophy excluding the two novels.
• Recto and Laurel defended the bill and argued that the only
objective of the bill is to keep the memory of the national hero
alive in every Filipino’s mind, to emanate Rizal as he peacefully
fought for freedom, and not to go against religion.
• Senators LorensoTanada, Quintin Paredes and Domocao
Alonto of Mindanao also defended Rizal Bill which was also
favored by Representatives from the House namely
Congressmen Jacobo Gonzales, Emilio Cortez, Mario
Bengson, Joaquin Roxas, Lancap Lagumbay and Pedro
Lopez.
• Other supporters of the bill were Mayor Arsenio Lacson call anti-
Rizal bill “bigoted and intolerant” and walked out of a mass when
the priest read a pastoral letter from the Archbishop denouncing
the Rizal Bill aqnd General Emilio Aguinaldo with groups like the
Knights of Rizal, Women Writers of the Vernacular, Philippine
Veterans Legion, Colleges Editors’ Guild and Philippine School
Teachers’ Association.
• Excitement and intense scenes were eventually arisen in settling the
Rizal Bill.
• One of which was the debate of Cebu Representative Ramon
Durano and Pampanga Representative Emilio Cortes that ended
with a fistfight in Congress.
• Bacolod City Bishop Manuel Yap threatened to campaign against
pro-Rizal bill legislators and to punish them in future elections.
• Catholic Schools Representatives threatened to close down their
schools if the Rizal Bill was passed. Recto told them that if they did,
the State could nationalize the catholic schools.
• There was a proposal to use the expurgated novels as textbooks and
put the original copies under lock and key in the school libraries
• Recto rejected the amendment and expressed:

“The people who would eliminate the books of Rizal from the
schools…would bot out from our minds the memory of the national
hero…this is not a fight against Recto but a fight against Rizal…now
that Rizal is dead and they can no longer attempt at his life, they are
attempting to blot out his memory.”
 Due to apparently never-ending debate on the Rizal Bill, approved
amendments were formulated through ideas of three senators. Senator
Laurel’ created an amendment to the original bill in which, other that Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, works written by Rizal and works written by
others about Rizal would be included and reading of the unexpurgated
revision of the two novels would no longer be compulsory to elementary and
secondary levels but would be strictly observed to college level.
Senator Lim suggested the exemption to those students who feel
that reading Rizal’s novels would negatively affect his or her faith. Senator
Primicias created an additional amendment that promulgates the rules and
regulations in getting an exemption only from reading the two novels through
written statement or affidavit and not from taking the Rizal Course. According
to historian Ambeth Ocampo, no student has ever availed of this exemption.
After the revised amendments, the bill was finally passed on May
17, 1956 and was signed into law as Republic Act 1425 by President
Ramon Magsaysay on June 12 of the same year.
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

REPUBLIC ACT
NO. 1425
WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our
history, there is a need for a re-dedication to the ideals
of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived
and died;
WHEREAS, it is meet that in honoring them,
particularly the national hero and patriot, Jose Rizal, we
remember with special fondness and devotion their
lives and works that have shaped the national
character;
WHEREAS, the life, works and writing of Jose Rizal,
particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, are a constant and inspiring source of
patriotism with which the minds of the youth, especially
during their formative and decisive years in school,
should be suffused;
WHEREAS, all educational institutions are under the
supervision of, and subject to regulation by the State,
and all schools are enjoined to develop moral
character, personal discipline, civic conscience and to
teach the duties of citizenship; Now, therefore,
 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.
 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
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.
 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.
 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.
 This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!!
Prepared by:
Ms. Jessa N. Lening, RPm