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Chapter 1 Republic Act 1425 Lesson 1: Background and Content of Republic Act No. 1425, S.1956 The postwar period saw a Philippines rife with challenges and problems. With a country torn and tired from the stresses of World War II, getting up on their feet was a paramount concern of the people and...

Chapter 1 Republic Act 1425 Lesson 1: Background and Content of Republic Act No. 1425, S.1956 The postwar period saw a Philippines rife with challenges and problems. With a country torn and tired from the stresses of World War II, getting up on their feet was a paramount concern of the people and the government. As the Philippines grappled with various challenges, particularly the call for nation- building, prominent individuals who championed nationalism came to action. They pursued government measures to instill patriotism and love for country in the hearts and minds of the Filipinos. These people drew inspiration from Philippine experience of the revolution for independence against Spain and from the heroes of that important period in the country's history. One measure sought was the passage of the Republic Act No. 1425 or the Rizal Law, which was primarily set to address "a need for re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died." The passage of the law was met with fierce opposition in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. FROM THE RIZAL BILL TO THE RIZAL LAW On April 3, 1956, Senate Bill No.438 was filed by the Senate Committee on Education. On April 17,1956, then Senate Committee on Education Chair Jose P. Laurel sponsored the bill and began delivering speeches for the proposed legislation. Soon after, the bill became controversial as the powerful Catholic Church began to express opposition against its passage. As the fluence of the Church was felt with members of the Senate voicing their opposition to the bill, its main author, Claro M. Recto, and his allies in the Senate entered. a fierce battle arguing for the passage of SB 438. Debates started on April 23, 1956, The debates on the Rizal Bill also ensured in the House of Representatives. House Bill No.5561, an identical version of SB 438, was filed by Representative Jacobo Z. Gonzales on April 19, 1956. The House Committee on Education approved the bill without amendments on May 2, 1956 and the debates commenced on May 9, 1956. A major point of the debates was whether the compulsory reading of the texts Noli Me Tangereand El Filibusterismo appropriated in the bill was constitutional. The call to read the unexpurgated version was also challenged. As the country was soon engaged in the debate, it seems that an impasse was reached. To move the procedure to the next step, Senator Jose P. Laurel proposed amendments to the bill on May 9, 1956. In particular, he removed the compulsory reading of Rizal's novels and added that Rizal's other works must also be included in the subject. He, however, remained adamant in his stand that the unexpurgated versions of the novels be read. On May 14, 1956, similar amendments were adopted to the House version. The amended version of the bills was also subjected to scrutiny but seemed more palatable to the members of Congress. The passage, however, was almost hijacked by technicality since the House of Representatives was about to adjourn in a few days and President Ramon Magsaysay did not certify the bills as priority. The allies in the House skillfully avoided the insertion of any other amendments to prevent the need to reprint new copies (which would take time). They also asked the Bureau of Printing to use the same templates for the Senate version in printing the House version. Tus, on May 17, 1956, the Senate and House versions were approved The approved versions were then transmitted to Malacañang and June 12, 1956, President Magsaysay signed the bill into law which became Republic Act No. 1425. After the bill was enacted into law, there were no recorded instances of students applying for exemption from reading the novels, and there was no known procedure for such exemptions. In 1994, President Fidel V. Ramos ordered the Department of Education, Culture and Sports to fully implement the law as there had been reports that it has still not been fully implemented. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425 AN ACT TO INCLUDE IN THE CURRICULA OF ALL PUBLICAND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES COURSES ON THE LIFE, WORKS AND WRITINGS OF JOSE RIZAL, PARTICULARLY HIS NOVELS NOLI ME TANGERE AND EL FILIBUSTERISMO, AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. WHEREAS, today, more than any other period of our history, there is a need for a re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died; WHEREAS, it is meet that in honoring them, particularly the national hero and patriot, Jose Rizal, we remember with special fondness and devotion their lives and works that have shaped the national character; WHEREAS, the life, works and writing of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are a constant and inspiring source of patriotism with which the minds of the youth, especially during their formative and decisive years in school, should be suffused; WHEREAS, all educational institutions are under the supervision of, and subject to regulation by the State, and all schools are enjoined to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience and to teach the duties of citizenship; Now, therefore SECTION 1. Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novel Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be included in the curricula of all schools, colleges and universities, public or private: Provided, that in the collegiate courses, the original or unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their English translation shall be used as basic texts. The Board of National Education is hereby authorized and directed to adopt forthwith measures to implement and carry out the provisions of this Section, including the writing and printing of appropriate primers, readers and textbooks. The Board shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate rules and regulations, including those of a disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the provisions of this Act. The Board shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students for reasons of religious belief stated in a sworn written statement, from the requirement of the provision contained in the second part of the first paragraph of this section; but not from taking the course provided for in the first part of said paragraph. Said rules and regulations shall take effect thirty (30) days after their publication in the Official Gazette. SECTION 2. It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges and universities to keep in their libraries an adequate number of copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as of Rizal's other works and biography. The unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their translations in English as well as other writings of Rizal shall be included in the list of approved books for required reading in all public or private schools, colleges and universities. The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of the number of books, depending upon the enrollment of the school, college or university SECTION 3. The Board of National Education shall cause the translation of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as other writings of Jose Rizal into English, Tagalog and the principal Philippine dialects; cause them to be printed in cheap, popular editions; and cause them to be distributed, free of charge, to persons desiring to read them, through the Purok organizations and Barrio Councils throughout the country. SECTION 4. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as amendment or repealing section nine hundred twenty-seven of the Administrative Code, prohibiting the discussion of religious doctrines by public school teachers and other person engaged in any public school. SECTION 5. The sum of three hundred thousand pesos is hereby authorized to be appropriated out of any fund not otherwise appropriated in the National Treasury to carry out the purposes of this Act. SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. Approved: June 12, 1956 Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 2971 in June 1956. Chapter 2 19th Century Philippines as Rizal's Context 1. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT A. End of Galleon Trade The Galleon trade (Kalakalang Galyon)is also known in New Spainas "La Nao de la China" (The China Ship) because it carried largely Chinese goods, shipped from Manila. When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, our ancestor were always trading with China, Japan, Siam, India, Cambodia, Borneo and the Moluccas. The Spanish Government continued trade relations with these countries, and Manila became the center of commerce in the East. The Spaniards closed the ports of manila to all countries except Mexico. Thus, the Manila- Acapulco Trade, better known as the "Galleon Trade" was born. The Galleon Trade was a government monopoly. Only two galleons were used: One sailed from Acapulco to Manila with some 500,000 pesos worth of goods, spending 120 days at sea; other sailed from manila to Acapulco with some 250,000 pesos worth of goods spending.90 days at sea. The Spanish trading ships which for two and a half centuries linked the Philippines with Mexico across the Pacific Ocean lasted from 1565 to 1815. B. Opening of Suez Canal Opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 relatively became an easy passage between Spain and the Philippines for Spanish trading. The Suez Canal connecting the Mediterranean and the Red seas is inaugurated in an elaborate ceremony attended by French Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III. In 1854, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the former French consul to Cairo, secured an agreement with the Ottoman governor of Egypt to build a canal 100 miles across the Isthmus of Suez. An international team of engineers drew up a construction plan, and in 1856 the Suez Canal for 99 years after completion of the work. Construction began in April 1859, and at first digging was done by hand with picks and shovels wielded by forced laborers. Later, European workers with dredgers and steam shovels arrived. Labor disputes and a cholera epidemic slowed construction, and the Suez Canal wasnot completed until 1869-four years behind schedule. On November 17, 1869, the Suez Canal was opened to a canal across the Isthmus of Panama. When it opened, the Suez Canal was only 25 feet deep, 72 feet wide at the bottom, and 200 to 300 feet wide at the surface. Consequently, fewer than 500 ships navigated it in its first full year of operation. Major improvements began in 1876, however, and the canal soon grew into the one of the world's most heavily traveled shipping lanes. C. Opening of Ports to World Trade The growing numbers of foreign merchants in Manila spurred the integration of the Philippines into an international commercial system linking industrialized Europe and North America with sources of raw materials and markets in the Americas and Asia. In principle, non-Spanish Europeans were not allowed to reside in Manila or elsewhere in the islands, but in fact British, American, French, and other foreign merchants circumvented this prohibition by flying the flags of Asian states or conniving with local officials. In 1834 the crown abolished the Royal Company of the Philippines and formally recognized free trade, opening the port of Manila to unrestricted foreign commerce. By 1856 there were thirteen foreign trading firms in Manila, of which seven were British and two Americans; between 1855 and 1873 the Spanish opened new ports to foreign trade, including Panay, Zamboanga in the western portion of Mindanao, Cebu on Cebu, and Legaspi in the Bicol area of southern Luzon. The growing prominence of steam over sail navigation and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 contributed to spectacular increases in the volume of trade D. The Rise of the Export Crop Economy In 1851 exports and imports totaled some US$8.2 million; ten years later, they had risen to US$18.9 million and by 1870 were US$53.3 million. Exports alone grew by US$20 million between 1861 and 1870. British and United States merchants dominated Philippine commerce, the former in an especially favored position because of their bases in Singapore, Hong Kong, and the island Borneo. By the late nineteenth century, three crops-tobacco, abaca, and sugar-dominated Philippine exports. The government monopoly on tobacco had been abolished in 1880, but Philippine cigars maintained their high reputation, popular throughout Victorian parlors in Britain, the European continent, and North America. Because of the growth of the worldwide shipping, Philippine abaca, which was considered the best material for ropes and cordage, grew in importance and after 1850 alternated with sugar as the islands' most important export. Americans dominated the abaca trade; raw material was made into rope, first at plants in New England and then in the Philippines. Principal regions for the growing of abaca were the Bicol areas of southeastern Luzon and the eastern portions of the Visayan Islands. Sugarcane had been produced and refined using crude methods at least as early as the beginning of the eighteenth century. The opening of the port of Iloilo in Panay in 1855 and the encouragement of the British vice consul in that town, Nicholas Loney (described by a modern writer as "a one-man whirlwind of entrepreneurial and technical innovation"), led to the development of the previously unsettled island of Negros as the center of the Philippine sugar industry, exporting its product to Britain and Australia. Loney arranged liberal credit terms for the local landlords to invest in the new crop, encouraged the migration of labor from the neighboring and overpopulated island of Panay, and introduced stream-driven sugar refineries that replaced the traditional method of producing low-grade sugar in loaves. The population of Negros tripled. Local "sugar-barons" --- the owners of the sugar plantations- became a potent political and economic force by the end of the nineteenth century. E. The Rise of the Monopolies On March 1, 1782, Spanish governor general Jose V. Basco established the tobacco monopoly as his economic program. Thus, the tobacco production in the Philippines was under his total control. The provinces of Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Provinces, Nueva Ecija, and Marinduque were ordered to plant tobacco. Only the government was allowed to buy the tobaccos. These tobaccos were then bought to Manila to be made into cigar or cigarettes. Why did Basco created the Tobacco Monopoly? Expenses incurred in running the colony were usually paid for by a yearly subsidy called real situado sent from the Philippines' sister colony, Mexico. This was, however, insufficient. The Royal fiscal, Francisco Leandro de Vianna, was prompted to devise a plan to be able to a raise revenue on its own II. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT A. The Education System A key factor in the emergence of nationalism in the late nineteenth century was the cultural development consequent on the rapid spread of education from about 1861. One of the major influences on the educational development of the nineteenth century was the return of the Jesuits. Expelled from the Philippines and the rest of the Spanish empire in 1768, they finally returned in 1859 to take charge of the evangelization of Mindanao. Having escaped, because of their expulsion, from the general decline that in the early part of the nineteenth century affected the Philippine church and the system of education that depended on it, they returned with ideas and methods new to the Philippine educational system. Asked by the Ayuntamiento to take over the municipal primary school in 1859 that became Escuela Municipal, later renamed Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1865, now Ateneo de Manila University and opened it to the Filipino students as well as the Spaniards for whom it had been founded. by 1865, Ateneo Municipal. had been transformed into a secondary school that offered a level of instruction beyond the official requirements and more approximated today's college than high school. Aside from Latin and Spanish, Greek, French, and English were studied. Rizal studied at Ateneo Municipal when this school was located at Intramuros, Manila. At the same time, such a role was given to the natural sciences that Rizal has the Filosopo Tasio (Rizal's father, Francisco) say, "The Philippines owes (the Jesuits) the beginnings of the Natural Science, soul of the nineteenth century." Under the direction of the Jesuits too was the other new educational institution, the Escuela Normal Superior de Maestros (Superior Normal School) for female teachers. It was opened in 1865 to provide Spanish-speaking teachers for the projected new primary school system. The Escuela- Normal represented a hope of progress in the mind of the many Filipinos that just as it would be opposed by those for whom modern education for Filipinos pose a danger to the continuance of Spanish rule. ♡ The Public School System in the 19th Century Free access to modern public education by all Filipinos was made possible through the enactment of the Education Decree of December 20, 1863 by Queen Isabella II. Primary instruction was made free and the teaching of Spanish was compulsory. This was ten years before Japan had a compulsory form of free modern public education and forty years before the American government started an English-based public school system in the Philippines. The royal decree provided for a complete educational system which would consist of primary, secondary and tertiary levels, finally making officially available to Filipinos valuable training for leadership after three centuries of colonization. The Education Decree of 1863 provided for the establishment of at least two free primary schools, one for boys and another for girls, in each town under the responsibility of the municipal government. It also commended the creation of a free public normal school to train men as teachers, supervised by the Jesuits. One of these schools was the Escuela Normal Elemental, which, in 1896 became the Escuela Normal Superior de Maestros de Manila (Manila Ordinary School for Schoolmistresses). The Spanish government established a school for midwives in 1879, and Escuela Normal Superior de Maestras (Superior Normal School) for female teachers in 1892. By the 1890s, free public secondary schools were opening outside of Manila, including 10 normal schools for women. The Philippines was ahead of some European countries in offering education for women. In 1866, the total population of the Philippines was only 4,411,261. The total public school was 841 for boys and'833 for girls. In 1892, the number of schools increased to 2,137, 1,087 of which was for boys and 1050 for girls The Chinese and Chinese Mestizos in the Philippines The sectors that greatly benefited from the changing economy were the Chinese and the Chinese mestizos. Since pre-colonial times, the natives of the Philippines had had trade relations with the Chinese. During the height of the Galleon Trade, it was also Chinese products that comprised most the goods being traded. The influx of Chinese settlements in the Philippines made the Spaniards suspicious of the Chinese. These feelings led to stringent state policies towards the sangley ranging from higher taxes, the restriction of movement with the establishment of the Chinese enclave (the Parian), to actual policies of expulsion. The Chinese, however, proved to be "necessary outsiders" in Philippine colonial economy and society. Although the Spaniards were wary of the Chinese, they realized the importance that the latter played in sustaining the economy. From the goods loaded on the galleons to the development of retail trade, the Chinese enlivened the economy. Eventually and gradually, they became integrated into colonial society, giving rise to Intermarriages with indios that gave birth to Chinese mestizos. The Chinese mestizos assumed an important role in the economy all throughout the Spanish colonial period. They influenced the changing economy in the nineteenth century by purchasing land, accumulating wealth and influence Impact on Life in the Colony The economic developments, as mentioned, precipitated social, political, and cultural developments as well. For example, the new economy demanded a more literate population to address the rising need for a more professionalized workforce to man the trading activities in Manila and other centers. This demand compelled the issuance of the colonial government order in 1836 that required all towns to set up primary schools to teach the population how to read and write. It eventually led to the passage of an education decree in 1863 that mandated free primary education. Eventually, the nineteenth century also gave birth to many schools that addressed the growing demand for more professionals. Schools like Ateneo Municipal were established during this time. The complex nature of the developing economy also allowed the government to intensify bureaucratization and to streamline colonial governance. As Manila became a trading center, it became a viable destination for people seeking better opportunities or those wanting to escape the worsening conditions in the farmlands. The increased rate of internal migration raised several concerns. One, people flocked the centers of trade like Manila. Overcrowding implied issues in living quarters, sanitation and public health, and increase in criminality. Two, the continuous movement of people made tax collection extra difficult. In order to mitigate these concerns, one measure implemented was the 1849 decree of Governor-General Narciso Claveria that urged the people in the colony to adopt surnames. With the catalogo de apellidos drawn up, the colonial government assigned surnames to people and forbade changing names at will. Together with more policies like the registration and possession of a cedula personal bearing one's name and residence, the colonial government sought to have a better surveillance mechanism. To help carry out policies better, the guardia civil was eventually established. As the new economy afforded the colonial state new oppurtunities, it also prompted the state to be more regulatory and to assert its authority Renegotiating Social Stratification The Philippine society felt the impact of the developing economy. As a result, social relations underwent redefinitions and the changing dynamics brought about a renegotiation of social stratification. With the growing relevance of the mestizo population, new lines were drawn with the following social strata: Peninsular-Pure-blooded Spaniard born in the Iberian Peninsula (i.e., Spain) -Insular- Pure-blooded Spaniard born in the Philippines -Mestizo-Born of mixed parentage, a mestizo can be: - Spanish mestizo one parent is Spanish, the other is a native; or - Chinese mestizo one parent is Chinese, the other is a native Principalia-Wealthy pure-blooded native supposedly descended from the kadatoan class Indio- Pure-blooded native of the Philippines Chino infiel--- Non-Catholic pure-blooded Chinese As the Spaniards lost economic power in the nineteenth century, they asserted dominance by virtue of their race. This issue brought complications with the rising principalia and mestizo populations who realized their indispensable position in society as movers and facilitators of the economy. The renegotiation continued throughout the century as the mestizos and principalia elite eventually demanded social recognition that the pure-blooded Spaniards had consistently denied them. These wealthy mestizos and members of the principalia continued to amass economic and cultural capital. They also availed themselves of the opportunity to obtain higher degrees of education not only in the Philippines but also in Europe. These activities augmented their relevance in society as it was from these ranks that articulations of nationalism would emerge B. The Rise of the Inquilinos (Hacienderos The rapidly growing population in the nineteenth century needed increased amounts of rice. Thus, those who controlled large rice, sugar, and abaca-growing lands in the Central Luzon, Batangas, parts of Bikol region, Negros, and Panay profited the mst. These included not only the Filipino hacenderos of Pampanga, Batangas, and Western Visayas, and the friar orders owning the large haciendas of Bulacan, Laguna, and Cavite, but also inquilinos of the friar haciendas. By this time, many of these inquilinos were equivalently hacenderos in their own right, pass on from one generation to the next the lands they rented from the flier hacienda and farming them by means of their share-tenants or kasama. To the latter, they stood in a semi feudal relationship little different from that which existed during Rizal's time in the Nineteenth- Century Context between owner hacenderos and their tenants. The prosperity which the new export economy had brought to some may be illustrated by the case of Rizal's Chinese ancestor Domingo Lam-co. When he had come to the Biñan hacienda in mid eighteenth century, the average holding of an inquilino was 2.9 hectares; after Rizal's father had moved to the hacienda, the Rizal family in the 1890's rented the hacienda over 390 hectares. But on the friar haciendas, rising prosperity had also brought friction between inquilinos and haciendas as lands grew in value and rents were raised. A combination of traditional methods and modernizing efficiency led to disputes, ultimately over who should 'reap the larger part of the fruits of the economic boom. Eventually, this would lead to a questioning of the friar's rights to the haciendas. But it is a gross misnomer to speak of the Revolution as an "agrarian revolt" in the modern sense. For it would not be the "kasama" who would challenge friar ownership, but the prosperous inquilinos. And their motive would be as much political as economic to weaken the friars' influence in the Philippine political life. III. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT The Spaniards ruled the Filipinos in the 19th century. The Filipinos became the Spaniard's slave. The Spaniards claimed their taxes and Filipinos worked under the power of the Spaniards. There was an appointment of officials with inferior qualifications, without. dedication of duty and moral strength to resist corruption for material advancement. Through this power and authority, the Spaniards possessed, they collected and wasted the money of the Filipinos. There were too complicated functions to the unions of the church and the state. Through the power that the Spaniards possessed, they had the right to appoint the different positions. The appointment of positions is obtained by the highest bidder which is the Governor- general of the country. The term of office which is the length of time a person (usually a politician) serves in a particular office which is dependent on the desire of the King of Spain. The Spanish officials traveled to various places and the needs of the Philippines were ignored. They did not put too much attention to the needs of the other people. There were inadequate administrative supervisions, they were unable to face and" solve the problems regarding the Philippines. There were also overlapping of powers and privileges of officials which made them competitive. Personal interest is over the welfare of the State. They were corrupt during the 19th century and the Alcaldias/Alcalde is considered as the most corrupt over the other corrupts. The Alcaldias/Alcalde includes the administrators, judges and military commandants. They usually have P25/mo. Liberal allowances and privileges to take a certain percentage of money from the total amount of taxes. There were also monopoly trades or business practices known as indulto para comerciar. A. Rise and Gradual Spread of Liberalism and Democracy The principal ideas of liberalism- liberty and equality- were first realized successfully in the American Revolution and then achieved in part in the French Revolution. This political and social philosophy challenged conservatism in the European continent. -Liberalism demanded representative government as opposed to autocratic monarchy, equality before the law as opposed to legally separate classes. The idea of liberty also meant to specific individual freedoms: freedom of the press; freedom of speech, freedom of assembly; and freedom from arbitrary arrest. Democracy became a way of life in many European countries, like Britain, Belgium, and Switzerland. Democracy was gradually established thru the following means: promulgation of laws that advance democracy; undertaking of reforms thru legislation; abolition of slavery; adoption of a liberal constitution, providing the citizens the opportunity to propose laws; adoption of manhood suffrage; and granting of political, economic and social rights to the people. B. Impact of the Bourbon Reforms The Bourbon Reforms (Castilian: Reformas Borbonicas) were a set of economic and political legislation promulgated by the Spanish Crown under various kings of the House of Bourbon, mainly in the 18th century. The strengthening of the crown's power with clear lines of authority to officials contrasted to the complex system of government that evolved under the Habsburg monarchs. In particular, the crown pursued state supremacy over the Catholic Church, resulting in the suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1767 as well as an attempt to abolish ecclesiastical privilege (fuero eclesiastico). The reforms resulted in significant restructuring of the administrative structure and personnel. The reforms were intended to stimulate manufacturing and technology to modernize Spain. In Spanish America, the reforms were designed to make the administration more efficient and to promote its economic, commercial and fiscal development. The crown did so, hoping that it would have a positive effect on the economy of Spain. Furthermore, the Bourbon Reforms were intended to limit the power of Creoles and re-establish Spanish supremacy over the colonies such as the Philippines. The reforms achieved mixed results administratively but succeeded in alienating the local elites of the Americas (who called themselves Criollos) and eventually led to the demise of all overseas dominions of the Spanish crown C. Cadiz Constitution of 1812 serves chollos) and eventually A Spanish constitution adopted by the constituent Cortes in Cadiz on Mar. 18, 1812, and made public on Mar. 19, 1812, during the Spanish Revolution of 1808-14. The constitution declared that "sovereignty resides in the nation, which retains the exclusive right to establish its own fundamental laws" (art. 3). Spain was proclaimed a hereditary monarchy (art. 14), with legislative power vested in the Cortes and the monarch (art. 15) and executive power represented by the monarch (art. 16). The constitution proclaimed individual freedom and the inviolability of domicile (arts. 286 and 307) but declared Catholicism the official religion of Spain and prohibited the practice of any other religion (art. 12). The constitution proclaimed the equality of Spaniards of the mother country and those of the Spanish colonies (art. 18) and established a national militia in the provinces (art. 362). On his return to Spain, King Ferdinand VII revoked the constitution on May 4, 1814. Restored at the outbreak of the Spanish Revolution of 1820-1823 (it was proclaimed by Riego y Nufñez on Jan. 1, 1820, and Ferdinand VII swore to uphold it on Mar. 9, 1820), it was again abolished on Oct, 1, 1823, by Ferdinand VII. On Aug. 12, 1836, the constitution went into effect for a third time in response to the demands of the masses and remained in force until the adoption of a new constitution on June 18, 1837. C. Cadiz Constitution of 1812 A Spanish constitution adopted by the constituent Cortes in Cadiz on Mar. 18, 1812, and made public on Mar. 19, 1812, during the Spanish Revolution of 1808-14. The constitution declared that "sovereignty resides in the nation, which retains the exclusive right to establish its own fundamental laws" (art. 3). Spain was proclaimed a hereditary monarchy (art. 14), with legislative power vested in the Cortes and the monarch (art. 15) and executive power represented by the monarch (art. 16). The constitution proclaimed individual freedom and the inviolability of domicile (arts. 286 and 307) but declared Catholicism the official religion of Spain and prohibited the practice of any other religion (art. 12). The constitution proclaimed the equality of Spaniards of the mother country and those of the Spanish colonies (art. 18) and established a national militia in the provinces (art. 362). On his return to Spain, King Ferdinand VII revoked the constitution on May 4, 1814. Restored at the outbreak of the Spanish Revolution of 1820-1823 (it was proclaimed by Riego y Nuñez on Jan. 1, 1820, and Ferdinand VII swore to uphold it on Mar. 9, 1820), it was again abolished on Oct, 1, 1823, by Ferdinand VII. On Aug. 12, 1836, the constitution went into effect for a third time in response to the demands of the masses and remained in force until the adoption of a new constitution on June 18, 1837