Republic Act No. 1425 House Bill No. 5561 Senate Bill No.

438 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. Whereas, today, more than 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 writings 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, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled SEC.1 Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels 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 translations shall be used as basic texts. The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed to adopt forthwith measures to implement and carry out the provisions of this Section, including the writing and printing of appropriate primers, readers and textbooks. The Board shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act promulgate rules and regulations, including those of a disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the regulations of this Act. The Board shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students for reason of religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, from the requirement of the provision contained in the second part of the first paragraph of this section; but not from taking the course provided for in the first part of said paragraph. Said rules and regulations shall take effect thirty (30) days after their publication in the Official Gazette. SEC.2 It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and universities to keep in their libraries an adequate number of copies of the original and expurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as Rizals 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 determine the adequacy of the number of books, depending upon the enrollment of the school, college or university. SEC.3 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 the Barrio Councils throughout the country. SEC.4 Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amending 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. SEC.5 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. SEC.6 This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Maraming mga tao ang nkarinig na ng Republic Act 1425 o mas kinikilalang Batas Rizal, ngunit, alam nga ba talaga natin kung ano nilalaman nito? Ano ang mga pinagdaan ng mga tao para lang maipatupad ang batas na ito? Sa pagbabasa ng blog na ito, masmaiintindihan natin ang tungkol sa bats na ito at paano ito nipatupad. Dito rin masasagot ang mga taonong kung ano nga ba ang kahalagahan ng batas na ito sa atin at kung anu ano ang mga argyumento sa batas na ito. Ang unang unang tanong na dapat natin maisagot ay kung ano nga ba talaga ang mga nilalaman ng batas na ito. Sa sobrang haba ng nilalaman ng batas na ito, maari natin itong isummaraze ng isang maikling talata. Ang Republic Act No. 1425, mas kilala bilang Rizal Law o Batas Rizal, ay inaprubahan noong ika-12 ng Hunyo 1956 noong ito ay tinatawag pang House Bill No. 5561 at Senate Bill No. 438. Ito ay nagsasalaysay ng pagsasama sa kurikulum ng lahat ng paaralang pampubliko, pribado, kolehiyo at mga unibersidad ang kurso tungkol sa buhay, mga ginawa at sinulat ni Jose Rizal, lalo na ang kanyang mga nobelang Noli Me Tangere at El Filibusterismo, na pinapahanitulutan ang pagpapalimbag at pamamahagi ng mga nabanggit sa itaas at para sa iba pang layunin. Ang mga may exception sa batas na ito ay ang pagbasa lamang ng abridged version ng mga nobelang ito ng mga dayuhan na nag aaral sa bansa. Kung ikaw ay isang Pilipino, kinakailangan mong pagaralan ang buong bersyon ng mga nobelang ito. Upang masmaintindihan ang kahalagahan ng batan na ito, kailangan rin nating malaman kung anu ano ang mga layunin ng batas na ito kaya ito naipatupad. Ito lamang ang iba sa mga layunin ng batas na ito: - Nilalayon ng R.A. na ito na maging inspirasyon ng mga taong bayan, lalo na ng mga kabataang Pilipino ang naging buhay, at karanasan ni Rizal noong panahon ng Kastila. - Ang batas ay naghahangad na magkaroon ang mga Pilipino ng kanilang sariling simulain ng kalayaan at pagiging nasyonalismo na binigyang halaga ng ating mga bayani. - Nilalayon nitong muling gisingin ang damdaming makabayan ng bawat mamamayang Pilipino upang maipamana at maisaalaala ng mga kabataan ng susunod na henereasyon. - Nilalayon din nitong mabigyang parangal ang pambansang bayani, na si Dr. Jose Rizal at ipaalala sa

bawat Pilipino ang kanyang naging malaking bahagi sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas sa pamamagitan ng kanyang mga ginawa para sa bayan. Ang kanyang buhay, mga ginawa, at mga sinulat, tulad ng Noli Me Tangere at El Filibusterismo, ay magsisilbing inspirasyon sa kaisipan ng bawat pilipino upang magkakaroon ng pagmamahal sa bayan. Noong hindi pa batas ng RA 1425, maraming mga kontrobersya na lumibot sa isyung ito. Naglaban dito ang ibat ibang mga kilalalang mga tauhan sa panahong ito kung kayat naging mainit ang pagdedbatehan ng batas na ito. Ilan lang ang mga sumunod sa mmga sumuporta at tumanggi sa RA 1425. PRO: - Claro M. Recto: Pinaglaban niya upang maipatupad ang bill. - Jose P. Laurel: Kasama ni Recto na ipinaglaban ang batas upang maipatubad ito. - Emilio Aguinaldo: Kasama ni Recto at Laurel na ipinaglaban ang batas upang maipatubad ito. - The Spirit of 1896, Alagad Ni Rizal, Freemasons, Booklovers Society, Philippine Public Scool Teachers Association: mga organisasyong sumuporta kanina Recto at Laurel upang maipatupad ang batas. - Fidel V. Ramos: Memorandum niya mas pinapatibay ang pagpapatupad sa RA1425. CON: - Archbishop Santos, Sen Tanada, Quitin Paredes, Sen. Rodrigo, Sen. Rosales: Ayaw ng simbahan na gawin required na reading materials ang Noli Me Tangere at El Filibusterismo ni Rizal dahil anti-churh ang mga nilalaman nito. Hindi rin nitatanggap ng simbahan na pwedeng gawing inspiration ng mga kabataan ang mga libro. Kapag binasa ng Catholic ang isang uncensored version, siya ay papatawan ng heresy. Ngayon ay alam natin ang tungkol sa batas Rizal, sa pagaaral nito, may mga nakuha akong mga input na puwede nating idagdag o ibago sa batas na ito. Ang exemption sa R.A. 1425 ay maaring tanggalin sa kadahilanang, wala namang masamang epekto ang mga sulatin ni Rizal sa pananampalataya ng tao. O kung hindi man tanggalin, huwag nang ipakuha sa mga Pilipinong

estudyanteng foreigners ang mismong kurso at sa halip ay papiliin sila ng alternatibong klase. Ito ay dahil hindi natin dapat pilitin sa kanila kung ang mga paniniwala nila ay iba dahil lang nag-aral sila sa Pilipinas. Isa rin sa mga dahilan ay dahil pwede silang pumili ng klase, kung gugustuhin nila, puwede pa rin nila kunin ang klaseng ito kung ginugusto nila. Kapag pinagisipan natin ng mabuti ang batas na ito, masmaraming mga masmagagandang epekto sa bansa natin kapag patuloy natin ipatupad ang batas na ito. Pagisipan mo, kung mawala ang batas na ito, iilan lang ito sa mga maaaring mangyari sa bansa natin. Ang maaring unang resulta ay ang pagkawala ng trabaho ng mga guro sa mga Pilipinong kurso. Ikalawa, maaring tuluyan ng makalimutan ng mga Pilipino ang kabayanihan at mga aral ni Rizal. Ikatlo, maaring lubusang bumaba ang nasyonalismo ng mga Pilipino. Base lang dito, nakikita na natin na masmaganda kung patuloy na ipatupad natin ang batas na ito. Sa aking palagay at base na rin sa napagkunan ko ng impormasyon, hindi na ito dapat pag-aralan, dahil hindi na ito gaanong tinatangkilik ng mga mag-aaral ngayon lalo na iyong mga mag-aaral sa kolehiyo. Lagi nilang inuusisa kung ano nga ba ang halaga ng pag-aaral ng buhay ni Rizal at ng kanyang mga nagawa sa kani-kanilang napiling larangan. Sinasabi nila na ito ay pag-aaksaya lamang ng oras at pera. Ngunit sa kabilang banda, nararapat nga lang naman na ating gunitain at pag-aralan ang kagitingan ng ating pambansang bayani. Hindi natin dapat kaligtaan ang nagawa nyang kabutihan sa bayan napalaya niya tayo sa mga manunupil. Kailangan pa rin talagang pag-aralan dahil bahagi na ito ng ating kasaysayan. Nagpapatunay na kailangan pa rin natin itong pag-aralan dahil ito ay kabilang sa mga batas na ipinatupad; layunin ng batas na ito na dapat lahat ng mga eskuwelahan sa buong pilipinas ay mayroong mga libro at mga nagawa ni Rizal. Dapat natin siyang gawing simbolo ng ating kalayaan. Ang pag-aaral sa kanya ay para na ring pagpapasalamat sa nagawa niyang kabutihan. - Mac Pascual

of their own love of freedom of their country. This certain noble love that we, Filipinos, are proud of should always be remembered and practiced, and therefore should be taught to the younger generations. For this reason, the Republic Act 1425, or popularly known as the Rizal Law, was implemented by the State. The Rizal Law states that all public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the country must include in their curricula, courses or subject about the life, works and, writings of Dr. Jose Rizal, particularly the novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. In this law, the honor of the Filipinos nationalism, particularly our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, is met with special fondness and devotion by the younger generations during their formal education. The works of Dr. Jose Rizal, especially the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are excellent inspiring sources of nationalism or patriotism in which the Filipino youths should also recognize and put into practice. Since also in school, the minds of these youths are carefully molded with proper knowledge and discipline. Therefore, in school, the enacted curricula, course or subject is also a way of teaching the youths of being a good Filipino citizen. On the other hand, minor occurrences have already violated this law. The use of the English translation as an alternative medium is already a contrast to the objectives of the law. The law should also recognize our national language and not the English language but this implementation may be difficult due to colonial mentality and the recent issue of globalization. Certain primers, readers, and textbooks that are used in certain public schools with only a few funds for good education had already edited the original texts to different explanations and views that had led to a confusion or false knowledge to the students. But sad to say, there is not enough implementation of laws that can control this problem in our poor country. Many other violations of the law had been done and ignored. Adequate amounts of copies are not available in public schools due to the massive graft and corruption of some public officials. Distribution of copies of Rizals works that are free of charge to those persons desiring to read them is not also really available in the Purok organizations and Barrio Councils throughout the country. I think that a revision of the Rizal Law should be considered or, in a hard way, the law should be more strictly practiced and penalized so hat somehow, or in some way, appreciation and recognition of the love of country is truly practiced.

Based on the Philippines vibrant history, the Filipinos are well-known throughout the world with their sense of nationalism. Since the Spanish era until the latest People Power, the Filipinos had generously expressed their ideals