Lesson 1 Historical Context of the Rizal Law.pptx

an introductory study on Rizal and the Rizal Law

1. HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE RIZAL LAW

2. About this template OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

3. “Jose Rizal remains the supreme hero of the Philippines because of the quality of his sacrifice, his absolute dedication to the interest of his people, and his achievement in many fields of endeavors”. - Sen. Blas Ople

4. Worth a Thought Many Filipino students are curious why they are still required to study the life and works of Jose Rizal in college despite having studied the biography of Jose Rizal and his two novels in their high school years. They believe that it might just be a repetition of the things they have learned and that it would be a waste of their time. Little did they know that they are mandated by the law to study the life and works of Jose Rizal not only in high school but also in college and they might not even have an idea what this law had gone through in order to be passed and approved.

5. Why is the study of Rizal’s life important?

6. Hello! The Importance of Studying Rizal The academic subject on the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal was not mandated by law for nothing. Far from being impractical, the course interestingly offers many benefits that some contemporary academicians declare that the subject, especially when taught properly, is more beneficial than many subjects in various curricula. (Jensen DG. Mañebog , 2013)

7. 1. The subject provides insights on how to deal with current problems. There is a dictum, “He who controls the past controls the future.” Our view of history forms the manner we perceive the present, and therefore influences the kind of solutions we provide for existing problems. Jose Rizal course, as a history subject, is full of historical information from which one could base his decisions in life. In various ways, the subject, for instance, teaches that being educated is a vital ingredient for a person or country to be really free and successful. You can also split your content 2. It helps us understand better ourselves as Filipinos. The past helps us understand who we are. We comprehensively define ourselves not only in terms of where we are going, but also where we come from. Our heredity, past behaviors, and old habits as a nation are all significant clues and determinants to our present situation. Interestingly, the life of a very important national historical figure like Jose Rizal contributes much to shedding light on our collective experience and identity as Filipino. The good grasp of the past offered by this subject would help us in dealing wisely with the present. The following are just some of the significance of the academic subject:

8. 3. It teaches nationalism and patriotism. Nationalism involves the desire to attain freedom and political independence, especially by a country under foreign power, while patriotism denotes proud devotion and loyalty to one’s nation. Jose Rizal’s life, works, and writings—especially his novels—essentially, if not perfectly, radiate these traits. For one thing, the subject helps us to understand our country better. You can also split your content 4. It provides various essential life lessons. We can learn much from the way Rizal faced various challenges in life. As a controversial figure in his time, he encountered serious dilemmas and predicaments but responded decently and high-mindedly. Through the crucial decisions he made in his life, we can sense his priorities and convictions which manifest how noble, selfless, and great the national hero was. For example, his many resolutions exemplified the aphorism that in this life there are things more important than personal feeling and happiness. The following are just some of the significance of the academic subject:

9. 7. The subject is a rich source of entertaining narratives. People love fictions and are even willing to spend for books or movie tickets just to be entertained by made-up tales. But only a few perhaps know that Rizal’s life is full of fascinating non-fictional accounts. For instance, it is rarely known that (1) Rizal was involved in a love triangle with Antonio Luna as also part of the romantic equation; (2) Rizal was a model in some of Juan Luna’s paintings; (3) Rizal’s common-law wife Josephine Bracken was ‘remarried’ to a man from Cebu and had tutored former President Sergio Osmeña; (4) Leonor Rivera (‘Maria Clara’), Rizal’s ‘true love’, had a son who married the sister of the former President of the United Nations General Assembly Carlos P. Romulo; (5) the Filipina beauty queen Gemma Cruz Araneta is a descendant of Rizal’s sister, Maria; (6) the sportscaster Chino Trinidad is a descendant of Rizal’s ‘first love’ (Segunda Katigbak ); and (7) the original manuscripts of Rizal’s novel (Noli and Fili) were once stolen for ransom, but Alejandro Roces had retrieved them without paying even a single centavo.

10. Rizal Memorials in Historical Context For over a century now, the nation has never failed to observe the anniversary of the martyrdom of our great national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Although frequently at the center of controversies and criticism of the public, the government must be given credits for its efforts in ensuring that the memory of Rizal stays in our hearts through the issuance of legislative acts, decrees and other proclamations honoring him. ( Quennie Ann J. Palafox, 2012)

11. Location : Daet, Camarines Norte Designer : Lt. Col Antonio Sanz and Ildefonso Alegre Completed : December 30, 1898 You can also split your content THE FIRST MONUMENT IN HONOR OF JOSE RIZAL

12. Senator Claro M. Recto was the main proponent of the Rizal Bill. He sought to sponsor the bill at Congress. However, this was met with stiff opposition from the Catholic Church . During the 1955 Senate election, the church charged Recto with being a communist and an anti-Catholic. After Recto's election, the Church continued to oppose the bill mandating the reading of Rizal's novels Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo , claiming it would violate freedom of conscience and religion. Groups such as Catholic Action of the Philippines, the Congregation of the Mission, the Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic Teachers Guild organized opposition to the bill; they were countered by Veteranos de la Revolucion (Spirit of 1896), Alagad in Rizal, the Freemasons, and the Knights of Rizal . The Senate Committee on Education sponsored a bill co-written by both José P. Laurel and Recto , with the only opposition coming from Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Mariano Jesús Cuenco , and Decoroso Rosales.

13. The Archbishop of Manila, Rufino Santos , protested in a pastoral letter that Catholic students would be affected if compulsory reading of the unexpurgated version were pushed through. Arsenio Lacson , Manila's mayor, who supported the bill, walked out of Mass when the priest read a circular from the archbishop denouncing the bill. Outside the Senate, the Catholic schools threatened to close down if the bill was passed; Recto countered that if that happened, the schools would be nationalized. Recto did not believe the threat, stating that the schools were too profitable to be closed. The schools gave up the threat, but threatened to "punish" legislators in favor of the law in future elections. A compromise was suggested, to use the expurgated version; Recto, who had supported the required reading of the unexpurgated version, declared: "The people who would eliminate the books of Rizal from the schools would blot out from our minds the memory of the national hero. This is not a fight against Recto but a fight against Rizal", adding that since Rizal is dead, they are attempting to suppress his memory.

14. On May 12, 1956, a compromise inserted by Committee on Education chairman Laurel that accommodated the objections of the Catholic Church was approved unanimously. The bill specified that only college (university) students would have the option of reading unexpurgated versions of clerically-contested reading material, such as Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo . The bill was enacted on June 12, 1956, Flag Day.

15. Rizal is everywhere. His face is on the one-peso coin. Brands and places bear his name. Students are required to read his novels and take a course about his life and legacy in college. Every year, Filipinos remember his 1896 execution on December 30—a regular holiday. But did you know that he has never been proclaimed a national hero? You can also split your content Rizal Is Not A National Hero

16. The most common understanding of a hero is a person who performed extraordinary act usually ending in death. According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts , there is no law, executive order or proclamation that has been enacted or issued proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national hero. Even Jose Rizal, considered as the greatest among the Filipino heroes, was not explicitly proclaimed as a national hero. The position he now holds in Philippine history is a tribute to the continued veneration or acclamation of the people in recognition of his contribution to the significant social transformation that took place in our countr y. (Cabico, 2019)

17. But while there is a no official declaration explicitly proclaiming him as a national hero, there are two orders honoring Rizal as a historical figure. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo issued Decree of Dec. 20, 1898 , declaring December 30 of every year as a day of national mourning in honor of Rizal and other victims of the Philippine Revolution. Act 137 , which organized the politico-military district of Morong into Rizal province, was the first official step taken by the Taft Commission to honor Rizal.

18. Former President Fidel Ramos issued an executive order to create a National Heroes Committee , which is mandated to study, evaluate and recommend Filipino heroes in recognition of their exceptional character and remarkable achievements for the country. The committee recommended nine Filipino historical figures to be national heroes: Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo del Pilar, Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat, Juan Luna, Melchor Aquino and Gabriela Silang . However, no action has been taken on these recommendations since the submission of the report by the committee in November 15, 1995. This was probably because this might trigger a flood of requests for proclamations. Another possibility is that the proclamations can trigger bitter debates involving historical controversies about the heroes.

19. A bill filed by Congressman Rene Relampagos from Bohol in February 2014 sought, among other things, to declare Jose Rizal as the sole Filipino national hero. According to the bill, he was a nationalist and well known for his Philippine reforms advocacy during the Spanish colonial era. As of January 1, 2017, the status of the bill was "Pending with the Committee on REVISION OF LAWS since 2014-02-19". In honor of their heroic actions, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) issues commemorative coins.

20. You can also split your content Rizal becomes A National Hero

21. Let’s answer the following questions.

22. Answer the following. What to you should be 2 qualities of a national hero? Given the two qualities, who to you is the national hero? Why? Describe briefly in 6-8 sentences how you have known Rizal when you were a high school student. In this day and age, is it still relevant for college students to study Rizal’s life? Why or why not?

23. ANY QUESTIONS?