Rizal Law Background Overview

Rizal Law Background

• The Rizal Law, also known as Republic Act No. 1425, mandated the teaching of the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, in all public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the Philippines.
• The bill was met with strong opposition, especially from the Catholic Church, due to the assertion that Rizal's works presented a negative portrayal of the faith.
• Proponents of the legislation argued that it was crucial to disseminate Rizal's ideals and values of freedom and nationalism, fostering civic consciousness and patriotism among Filipino students.
• The Catholic Church claimed that Rizal's novels contained numerous anti-Catholic passages, violating church law, and that Rizal's supposed retraction of his anti-clerical sentiments in his last will should be taken into account.
• To address the concerns of the Catholic Church, Senator Laurel proposed an amendment that made the study of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo obligatory only for college students, allowing elementary and secondary students to study them on a voluntary basis.

Republic Act No. 1425

• The Rizal Law promulgated in 1956, required all educational institutions to include courses on the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal in their curricula.
• The law required schools to keep copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of Rizal's novels and other writings, ensuring access to his works for students.
• The law mandated the translation of Rizal's novels and other writings into English, Tagalog, and other major Philippine dialects.
• The law authorized an appropriation of 300,000 pesos to carry out the provisions of the act.

Education System

• During the Spanish colonial period, education was primarily controlled by the Catholic Church, with various religious orders playing a significant role.
• Education was largely focused on religion, with limited emphasis on reading, writing, and arithmetic.
• Catholic education institutions were typically segregated for boys and girls, with limited coeducational opportunities.
• The clergy, particularly the four dominant religious orders, Augustinians, Franciscans, Jesuits, and Dominicans, played a dominant role in education, land ownership, and government affairs.
• The strict control and influence of the clergy, coupled with exploitation and abuse of the Filipino population, fueled discontent and contributed to the rise of Filipino nationalism.

The Rise of Inquilinos

• Inquilinos were leaseholders of agricultural land, while kasama were tenant cultivators, and jornaleros were day laborers.
• During the colonial period, religious orders leased their lands to inquilinos, who in turn, subleased the land to kasama.
• The system of tenancy was passed down from parents to children, as long as rent was paid.
• The rental rate depended on the quality and location of the land.
• The harvest was divided first to pay rent to the landowner, with the remainder shared between the inquilinos and kasama.
• The system of sharecropping, often called aparcería in Spanish, varied according to who provided seeds, work animals, and tools.
• The harvest cycle was lengthy, making it difficult for kasama to receive their share, particularly during lean months, and often led to indebtedness to inquilinos.

The 19th Century Philippine Context

• The Banco Espanol was the first banking system established in the Philippines.
• The Manila Observatory, founded by the Jesuits in 1856, gained international recognition for its accurate typhoon forecasting and earthquake monitoring.
• The Spanish government established a state-run lottery, the Loteria Nacional, which generated significant revenue for the colonial government.
• The Encomienda system, a practice of granting land to Spanish officials, military personnel, and the clergy, led to abuse and exploitation of the Filipino population.
• The expansion of agricultural production, particularly sugar, hemp, abaca, and sugarcane, benefited Spanish and native landowners, leading to economic development.
• The economic growth fostered the emergence of a Filipino middle class, known as the principalia, who sought to gain political influence and participate in governing.
• The growing discontent and frustration of the Filipino middle class under Spanish rule contributed to the rise of Filipino nationalism and the fight for independence.