the rizal law

8/19/2019 The Rizal Law

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Making Rizal Relevant:A Challenge for Today’sEducators

By Augusto V. de Viana

National Historical Institute


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Requirements for theRequirements for the

Teacher Teacher Should be skilled not only in history butShould be skilled not only in history but

also literaturealso literature

He/She mustHe/She must

separate historyseparate history

from literature:from literature:

the Noli and ili arethe Noli and ili are

!orks of "ction!orks of "ction #ust put $i%al in the#ust put $i%al in the

proper historical perspecti&eproper historical perspecti&e


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Some persons and places inSome persons and places in

Rizal’s works have allusionsRizal’s works have allusions

to real objectsto real objects '(amples are )elesforo *huidian'(amples are )elesforo *huidian!ho !as said to be the inspiration!ho !as said to be the inspiration

for +apitan )iagofor +apitan )iago

*alle Anloague !as a real street*alle Anloague !as a real street

,anciteria #acanista de Buen,anciteria #acanista de Buen

-usto !as a real restaurant-usto !as a real restaurant


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Tan Quien-sien (Carlos alAs the China"an Quiroga


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anciteria Macanista de $uen %usto on &an 'ernando &treet$inondo


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)The $ride of Christ*


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The )&+anish troo+s* ,ere actually 'ili+ino soldiers in th

&+anish ar"y


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ntil the present some people argue that this picture is a fake


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The teacher mustThe teacher must

understand Rizal’s agendaunderstand Rizal’s agenda It is basically antifriarIt is basically antifriar It is not antiSpanishIt is not antiSpanish

In his time he did notIn his time he did notad&ocate ,hilippinead&ocate ,hilippine

independenceindependence

His antifriar approachHis antifriar approachhad some personalhad some personal

dimensionsdimensions


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Rizal’s agenda hadRizal’s agenda had

something to do withsomething to do with

reviving the Filipino spiritreviving the Filipino spirit )his is !hat historians)his is !hat historians

call 0pagbabangong puri1call 0pagbabangong puri1 $i%al used history to a!aken$i%al used history to a!aken

pride in the ilipinopride in the ilipino He said 0in order to kno!nHe said 0in order to kno!n

the destiny of the countrythe destiny of the country

it is necessary to open theit is necessary to open the

book of the past1book of the past1

ik h h i lik h h Ri l


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ike other heroes Rizalike other heroes Rizal

advocated the creation of aadvocated the creation of a

new moral regenerationnew moral regeneration e said to .e truly free ,ee said to .e truly free ,e

"ust .e deserving of freedo""ust .e deserving of freedo"

)) The slaves of today ,ill The slaves of today ,ill.eco"e the tyrants of.eco"e the tyrants of

to"orro,*to"orro,*

/ther heroes like $onifacio/ther heroes like $onifacio 0acinto and Ma.ini 0acinto and Ma.ini

e"+hasized a "oral revolutione"+hasized a "oral revolution


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!ow to make Rizal!ow to make Rizal

relevantrelevant

,ut $i%al in the conte(t of historical perspecti&e,ut $i%al in the conte(t of historical perspecti&e )ell inspiring stories that accentuate his &irtues)ell inspiring stories that accentuate his &irtues )ri&ia may help but should not detract from)ri&ia may help but should not detract from

$i%al2s true teachings$i%al2s true teachings


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Filipinos should not make aFilipinos should not make a

heroes "ght each other heroes "ght each other

$ather they$ather they

should be ashould be a unifying factorunifying factor

and a moraland a moral

anchor foranchor for

the peoplethe people


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The Rizal teacher has a ver#The Rizal teacher has a ver#

important roleimportant role

)hey impart &alues e(hibited not only by)hey impart &alues e(hibited not only by$i%al but also other heroes$i%al but also other heroes

)heir teachings help form the kind of)heir teachings help form the kind offuture citi%ens of the ,hilippinesfuture citi%ens of the ,hilippines


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The works of other heroesThe works of other heroes

should also be studiedshould also be studied )heir !orks contain)heir !orks contain

gems ofgems of

nationalistnationalistthoughtthought

Their ideas are as relevant as

Those of Rizal’s

Heroes should also be studied intheir historical context


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$e must understand wh# $e must understand wh#

the law was passedthe law was passed

)he postindependence period !as a)he postindependence period !as a

confusing timeconfusing time


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TheThe

Rizal awRizal awHalf a *entury HenceHalf a *entury Hence

34567899;34567899;


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The %hilippines passedThe %hilippines passed

through a series of crisisthrough a series of crisis

)he country lay in ruins as a result)he country lay in ruins as a result

of the Second


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were captured or killed& the were captured or killed& the

countr# was still in thecountr# was still in the

throes of the !ukbalahapthroes of the !ukbalahaprebellionrebellion

Th t ’ thTh t ’ th


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The countr#’s press& theThe countr#’s press& the

freest in Asia reported onfreest in Asia reported on

sensational topicssensational topics )hese mostly)hese mostlyincludedincluded

scandals in thescandals in thego&ernmentgo&ernment

Th i l l ti ithThe special relations ith


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The special relations withThe special relations with

the 'nited States made thethe 'nited States made the

countr# a neocolon# countr# a neocolon# '&ery leader made'&ery leader made

it a point to cater toit a point to cater to American interests American interests

,roAmericanism,roAmericanism

!as the o=icial order of!as the o=icial order ofthe daythe day


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blight as the countr#blight as the countr#

struggles through variousstruggles through various

crisescrises

The widening gap between rich and poor


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Pro-Americanism vs. nationalism


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Prevalence of crime and other social blights


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elections Sen+ ,laro -+elections Sen+ ,laro -+

Recto introduced theRecto introduced the

original Rizal .illoriginal Rizal .ill

$ecto !as a ma&erick $ecto !as a ma&erick

in the Senatein the Senate He !as a strong ad&ocateHe !as a strong ad&ocate

of nationalismof nationalism

Sen. Claro M. Recto

The Rizal bill ran into aThe Rizal bill ran into a


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The Rizal bill ran into aThe Rizal bill ran into a

bitter controvers# with thebitter controvers# with the

,atholic !ierarch# ,atholic !ierarch# The bill was consideredThe bill was considered

““an attack on the Chrch!an attack on the Chrch!

Ri"al#s novels had messagesRi"al#s novels had messages

““not appropriate! for the presentnot appropriate! for the present

timetime

The $oli Me Tangere was said toThe $oli Me Tangere was said to

have contained %&' “anti-Catholic!have contained %&' “anti-Catholic!statements compared to &(statements compared to &(

““patriotic! statementspatriotic! statements


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,hurch leaders resorted,hurch leaders resorted

to threatsto threats rged *atholics torged *atholics to

re>ect legislators !hore>ect legislators !ho

supported $ecto2s billsupported $ecto2s bill

?ne bishop threatened?ne bishop threatenedto close do!n *atholicto close do!n *atholic

schools if the $i%al billschools if the $i%al bill

is passedis passed

$ecto dared the *atholics$ecto dared the *atholics

)o close do!n their)o close do!n their

schoolsschools

,hurch leaders also,hurch leaders also


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,hurch leaders also,hurch leaders also

resorted to a propagandaresorted to a propaganda

campaigncampaign

*hurch leaders urged their*hurch leaders urged their

members to !rite their senators andmembers to !rite their senators andcongressmen to re>ect $ecto2s $i%al billcongressmen to re>ect $ecto2s $i%al bill

?ne *atholic leader said that the $i%al?ne *atholic leader said that the $i%al

Bill !as a !ay of punishing *atholic &otersBill !as a !ay of punishing *atholic &oters

for his poor sho!ing in the 4566 electionsfor his poor sho!ing in the 4566 elections )here !as also a pastoral letter)here !as also a pastoral letter

condemning the billcondemning the bill

The ,atholic leaders attackThe ,atholic leaders attack


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The ,atholic leaders attackThe ,atholic leaders attack

the bill and moved tothe bill and moved to

emasculate the measureemasculate the measure

)he bill@ they said@ &iolates)he bill@ they said@ &iolates

the *onstitution because itthe *onstitution because it

contra&enes !ith the freedom ofcontra&enes !ith the freedom of

conscienceconscience *atholics !ere 0not obliged to*atholics !ere 0not obliged to

take the course1 if it endangers their faithtake the course1 if it endangers their faith

R A (/0* accommodatedR A (/0* accommodated


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R+A+ (/0* accommodatedR+A+ (/0* accommodatedthe objections of ,hurchthe objections of ,hurch

leadersleaders It !as a compromiseIt !as a compromiseBill and students couldBill and students could

e(empt themsel&ese(empt themsel&es

by citing religiousby citing religious

groundsgrounds )he proponents said)he proponents said

)hat at least they 0gained)hat at least they 0gained

something1something1

)he passage of the la!)he passage of the la!sho!ed the inuence ofsho!ed the inuence of

the church inthe church in

State a=airsState a=airsRecto with Sen. )ose P. *arel

Athor of the RA %+&(


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The law practicall# madeThe law practicall# made

Rizal the model FilipinoRizal the model Filipino It kept his ideas ali&eIt kept his ideas ali&e

It suited the ob>ecti&es of theIt suited the ob>ecti&es of the

go&ernment !ith $i%al2sgo&ernment !ith $i%al2s

adherence to e&olutionaryadherence to e&olutionarychangechange

But the la! sidelined otherBut the la! sidelined other

Heroes some historians sa!Heroes some historians sa!

this as an endorsement of thethis as an endorsement of the

elite classelite class


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The Rizal aw is poorl#The Rizal aw is poorl#

implementedimplemented )here are reported not)here are reported not

enough copies of Noli andenough copies of Noli and

ili in schools and collegesili in schools and colleges )eachers lack adeuate)eachers lack adeuate

preparationpreparation No follo!up on theNo follo!up on the

implementation after moreimplementation after more

than 69 yearsthan 69 years


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There is a need to evaluateThere is a need to evaluate

the Rizal aw the Rizal aw Cid it ful"ll its original purposeDCid it ful"ll its original purposeD

Perhaps an evaluation could

Be done at the school level


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The works of other heroesThe works of other heroes

should also be studiedshould also be studied )heir !orks contain)heir !orks contain

gems ofgems of

nationalistnationalistthoughtthought

Their ideas are as relevant as

Those of Rizal’s

Heroes should also be studied intheir historical context


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Quo Vadis?


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the rizal law

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