The Rizal Law & Theory of Nationalism Republic Act 1425
The Rizal Law & Theory of Nationalism Republic Act 1425
The Rizal Law & Theory of Nationalism Republic Act 1425
3. Determine the value of studying Jose Rizal in the Claro M. Recto – the main proponent of the Rizal
21st century. Bill
However, after challenges, later on, it was passed. In this way, the youth can think of rededicating their
lives to the idols of freedom of nationalism. And to
• Recto shows his firm support for the pay our tribute to our national hero because Jose
unexpurgated version, exclaiming: “The Rizal devoted his life, sacrificed his own happiness
people who would eliminate the books of just for the sake of the Filipino people. With that way,
Rizal from the schools would blot out from Rizal inspired us, and he is a source of patriotism.
our minds the memory of the national hero.
This is not a fight against Recto but a fight
against Rizal.” (Ocampo, 2012, p. 23.) Memorandum Order No. 247
• The bill was eventually passed, and it was
After the R.A. 1425 became formally law,
enacted on June 12, 1956.
• The full name of the law is “An Act to 1994 – Former President Fidel V. Ramos, through
Include in the Curricula of all Public and M.O. No. 247, directed the Secretary of Education,
Private Schools, Colleges, and Culture and Sports (DECS, now DEPED) and the
Universities Courses on the Life, Works, Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education to
and Writings of Jose Rizal, particularly fully implement the RA 1425.
his novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, Authorizing the Printing 1995 – CHED Memorandum No. 3 was issued
and Distribution Thereof, and for Other enforcing strict compliance to Memorandum Order
Purposes.” No, 247.
• The first section of the law concerns
mandating the students to read Rizal’s
novels. REPUBLIC ACT 229
• The last two sections involve making Rizal’s “An act prohibiting cockfighting, horse racing, and
writings accessible to the general public – jai-alai on the thirtieth day of December of each year
they require the schools to have a sufficient and to create a committee to take charge of the
number of copies in their libraries and proper celebration of Rizal Day in every municipality
mandate the publication of the works in major and chartered city, and for any other purposes.”
Philippine languages.
• For ANDERSON, the nation “is an imagined Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, you can
community – and imagined as both discover or see the nationalism that the Filipino
inherently limited and sovereign” (2006). people have shown in the novels.
Anderson just wants to define nation as an imagined Rizal was able to go against the colonizers and show
community because even if we have one nationality, how literatures can be used to arouse people to be
one territory, one language, one culture, one religion catalyst of social change.
(based on five elements), Filipinos can be seen all
over the world. Even we do not meet each other In both his novels, he was able to portray the Filipino
because of the imagined community, at the end of in different dimensions from those who have colonial
the day, we do have one nation. The bond of mentality to those who fought for the country at all
Filipinos will never be separated even they are far costs. Through his novels, he emphasizes the
away from each other. values of nationalism and loving one’s country.
National narrative, Rizal presented because the
• The Philippine nation is an imagined inspiration for strengthening the anti-colonial
community because one who identifies movement.
himself or herself as a Filipino will never meet During the time Rizal was aiming for sovereignty
all the other Filipinos around the world, yet from the Spaniards, those are the times also that
he or she is convinced that they exist, and he Filipino people are starting to realize that they should
or she is related to them. be awakened – that this is the time they need to fight
Anderson presented the Homogenous Empty Time. for their independence.
He borrowed the ideas from Walter Benjamin which
replace the idea of Simultaneity Along Time.
Simultaneity Among Time – refers to the medieval
conception of time as _ events in the past, present,
and future simultaneously.
Homogenous Empty Time – suggest that a nation
can be imagined as a unit moving through time.
Since the adoption of the Spanish Constitution of To the Filipino masses, a litigation in court was a
1812 and other constitution in succeeding years, the calamity. The expenses incurred even in simple
people of Spain enjoyed freedom of speech, lawsuit often exceeded the value of the property at
freedom of the press, freedom of association, and issue, so that in many instances the litigants found
other human rights (except from freedom of religion). themselves impoverished at the end of the long
The Spaniards ardently guarded these rights so that tussle.
no Spanish monarch dare abolish them.
Strangely enough, the Spanish authorities who 7. Racial Discrimination
cherish these human rights or constitutional liberties
in Spain denied them to the Filipinos in Asia. Such Spain introduced Christianity into the Philippines
inconsistency was lamented by Sinibaldo de Mas, with its beautiful egalitarian concept of the
Spanish economist and diplomat, who wrote in 1843: brotherhood of all men under God the Father. the
“Why do we fall into an anomaly, such as combining Spanish authorities, civil as well as ecclesiastical,
our claim for liberty for ourselves, and our wish to zealously propagated the Christian faith, but seldom
impose our law on remote peoples? Why do we deny practiced its sublime tenets.
to others the benefit which we desire for our Racial prejudice was prevalent everywhere - in
fatherland?” government offices, in the courts of justice, in the
armed forces, in the social circles, and even in the
educational institution and in the ecclesiastical
5. No Equality Before the Law hierarchy. one of the shining stars of the Filipino
Spanish arrogantly regarded the brown-skinned clergy, Father Jose Burgoz (1837-1872) bewailed
Filipinos as inferior beings, not their Christian the Spanish misconception that amounts merit
depended on the pigment of his skin, the height of
brothers to be protected but rather as their majesty's
subjects to be exploited. The Filipinos were abused, his nose, the color of his hair, and the shape of his
skull; end complained of the lack of opportunities for
brutalized, persecuted, and slandered by their
Spanish masters. educated young Filipinos to rise in the service of God
and country.
The Spanish Penal Code, which was enforced in the
During the racial discrimination, people who has
Philippines, particularly imposed heavier penalties
on native Filipinos or mestizos and lighter penalties brown skin, flat nose are known to be as Indios. The
on white-complexioned Spaniards this legal Spaniard always enjoyed political and social
inequality was natural leaders and dead by the prestige.
Filipinos.
8. Frailocracy During the time, friars owned the best haciendas.
Those rural folks became tenants only. The friar
Owing to the Spanish political philosophy of union of ownership of the reproductive lands contributed to
Church and State, there arose a unique form of the economic stagnation of the Philippines during
government in Hispanic Philippines called
the Spanish period.
“frailocracy” (frailocracia), so named because it was
“a government by friars.” History discloses that since
the days of the Spanish conquest, the friars
(Augustinians, Dominicans, and Franciscans) 11. The Guardia Civil
controlled the religious and educational life of the The last hated symbol of Spanish tyranny was the
Philippines. Guardia Civil (Constabulary) which was created by
the Royal Decree of February 12, 1852, as amended
by the Royal Decree of March 24, 1888, For the
9. Forced Labor purpose of maintaining internal peace and what
order in the Philippines. It was patterned after the
Known as the polo, it was the compulsory of labor famous and well-disciplined Guardia Civil in Spain.
imposed by the Spanish colonial authorities an adult
Filipino male in the construction of churches, The Guardia Civil in the Philippines had rendered
schools, hospitals; building and repair of roads and meritorious services in suppressing the bandits in
bridges; the building of ships in the shipyards; and the provinces, they later became infamous for the
other public works. rampant abuses, such a maltreating innocent
people, looting their carabaos and chickens, and
Originally, Filipino males from 16 to 60 years old valuable belongings, and raping helpless women.
we're obliged to render forced labor for 40 days a Both officers (Spaniards) and men (natives) were ill-
year. Later, the Royal Decree of July 12, 1883, trained and undisciplined, unlike the Guardia Civil in
implemented by the New Regulations promulgated
Spain who were respected and well-liked by the
by the Council of State of February 3, 1885, increase populace.
the minimum age of the polistas (those who
performed the forced labor) from 16 to 18 and
reduced the days of labor from 40 to 15. the same
royal decree provided that not only native Filipinos,
but also all male Spanish residents from 18 years old
to 60 must render forced labor, but this particular
provision was never implemented in the Philippines
for obvious reasons.