Module 1

The Rizal Law

The Rizal Law, known as Republic Act 1425, that was enacted on June 12, 1956,
promotes Filipino nationalism by mandating the study of Dr. Jose Rizal’s life works and
writings to be taught in all schools and universities. The Rizal course offers a wide range of
thoughts on how our national heroes fought for the freedom of our country. This critique
paper aims to delve into the history and contribution of Rizal Law to our country and learn
about the early biographies of Jose Rizal.

The Rizal Law acknowledges the importance of studying Rizal’s life, works and
writings as a mean to instill a sense of national identity and appreciation of the past situation
of the Filipino people. Most people wonder why it's important to study Rizal's life when all
he did was write literature. It is through his writings that he revealed how cruel and abusive
the Spaniards truly are in their treatment of the Filipino people. He also enlightened his
fellow countrymen to take up arms and stand up for their rights. Today, there is a need for a
re-dedication to freedom and nationalism, especially in honoring national hero Jose Rizal. His
works, particularly Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are a source of inspiration for
youth, especially during their formative years in school. All educational institutions are
subject to state regulation, enjoining moral character, personal discipline, and civic
conscience. The Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo were constant and inspiring sources
of patriotism for the minds of the youth, especially because they helped awaken the minds of
the Filipino people to develop historical thinking and national awareness.

Additionally, the construction of primers, readers, and textbooks is one of the

According to R.A. No. 1425, students must take the Rizal course in order to
comprehend Jose Rizal's life, career, and writings. It includes Filipino and English
translations of Rizal's books, poetry, diaries, essays, and novels. The course, which uses
Filipino as the instruction language, is a component of the curriculum for Filipino students. It
provides a thorough grasp of Rizal's struggle for freedom and the survival of the nation
against foreign invaders. Looking at the different sections that this law has, one could say that
it is perfectly written. But from a different perspective, it shows how flawed such a law is and
how it made no impact on our current generation. History is written utilizing the PEP (people,
event, and place) framework. People are portrayed as characters in Rizal's biography, Noli
Me Tangere, and the 1872 mutiny affected his nationalism. El Filibusterismo, a book devoted
to Gomburza, pays tribute to the martyrs of the Filipino secularization movement and
recounts interesting locations visited.

Although, Dr. Jose Rizal’s writings were to spark the Filipino people’s sense of
nationalism, one could not overlook the fact that his writings show his grievances against the
Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church opposed the law since Rizal’s writings
often show that the church was the antagonist in the story and the main cause of all the
trouble. The church believed that by implementing the law, millions of Filipinos would
eventually lose faith and the church would peril.

In the early biographies of Jose Rizal, there are several biographers who attempted to
write his life and works, and several of them are considered authentic as well as very fluent in
terms of historical details and analysis. First is the account of Wenceslao Retana, known to be
one of Rizal’s contemporaries, who was critical of Rizal’s nationalistic fervor and who
believes that Rizal's execution was a proof of injustices committed by Spain towards
Filipinos. Secondly, the account of Carlos Quirino, who was one of the great biographers of
Rizal and wrote the “Great Malayan," described Rizal as an “ordinary person” with a great
love for his country, his compatriots, and the search for truth. According to Rafael Palma, one
of the important biographers of Rizal, his work entitled “Biografia de Rizal” was one of the
finest and greatest biographies of the national hero.

Another is the account of Austin Coates, who is known for his detailed work on
Rizal’s biography entitled “Rizal, Philippine Nationalist and Martyr,was published in 1968
by Oxford University Press. Account of Leon Maria Guerero, whose work was one of the
most readable biographies of Rizal, entitled “The First Filipino, Leon Maria Guerero, and he
described the two types of Spain; one was great and the other was evil. The last account was
the account of Ambeth Ocampo, who was one of the modern historians who discussed Rizal's
“telling a friend” approach and his work entitled “Rizal Without an Overcoat," in which he
referred to Rizal as an ordinary person and exposed Rizal as a person with a big ambition for
his countrymen.

The goal of the Rizal’s Law is for us to be awakened to our country’s history. He
wanted us to know how Filipinos lived during that time as well as to shed light on the
challenge’s Filipinos have to face at the hands of the Spaniards, such as mistreatment and
injustice. Social ills such as corruption, mistreatment, and injustices are still very prevalent at
present. The Rizal Law is very important in our lives as Filipinos because Dr. Jose P. Rizal
plays a significant role in the heritage and history of the Philippines. Rizal's literary novels
immortalize life in the Philippines during the Spanish era and the strong desire for freedom
and independence.