Unformatted text preview: LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSE RIZAL
Historical context
context of the Rizal Law This lesson provides a discussion on the historical context and contents of the Rizal
Law and examines the social, political and economic conditions in the Philippines in
the 19th century. Studyin the historical context of the Rizal Law allows us to !etter
understand the contents, rationale and importance of the law. Similarly, studyin
the 19th century is helpful in studyin the life, wor"s and ideas of #r, $ose Rizal
!ecause this puts him in the appropriate context.
O!ecti"es# The followin are the learnin outcomes we are expected to achieve at the end of the lesson%
•
•
• • • • &xplain the rationale of the Rizal Law
#iscuss the historical context of the Rizal Law
#escri!e the Spanish colonial overnment !y readin excerpts from selected
wor"s of propaandists
Relat
elate
e the
the pass
passa
ae
e of Riza
Rizall Law
Law to nati
nation
on'!
'!ui
uild
ldin
in,
, patr
patrio
ioti
tism
sm and
and
nationalism.
&xam
&xamin
ine
e the
the econ
econom
omic
ic and
and soci
socio'
o'po
poli
liti
tica
call mili
milieu
eu of the
the 19th
19thce
cent
ntur
ury
y
Philippines
(ompare the reactions of )ilipinos
)ilipinos to the passae of the Rizal Law I$ %he Rizal Law *any )ilipino students are curious why they are still re+uired to study the life
and wor"s of $ose Rizal in collee despite havin studied the !ioraphy of $ose Rizal
and his two novels in their hih school years. They !elieve that it miht ust !e a
repetiti
repetition
on of the thins they have learned
learned and that it would !e a waste of their
their
time. Little did they "now that they are mandated !y the law to study the life and
wor"s of $ose Rizal not only in hih school !ut also in collee and they miht not
even have an idea what this law had one throuh in order to !e passed and
approved.
-n $une 1, 19/0, Philippine ndependence #ay, the Repu!lic 2ct 13/ 4R.2.
13/5 also "nown as the Rizal Law was passed. t is an act 6to nclude in the
(urricula of 2ll Pu!lic and Private Schools, collees and 7niversities courses on the
life, wor"s and writins of $ose Rizal, particularly his novels 8oli *e Tanere and &l
)ili!us
ili!uster
terism
ismo.
o. 2uthor
2uthorizi
izin
n the printi
printin
n and distri
distri!ut
!ution
ion there
thereof,
of, and for other
other
purposes.
Read the contents
contents of the law and answers to the followin
followin +uestions%
a. :hy was it passed at time
time of the Philippine ndependence
ndependence #ay;
!. :hy only $ose Rizal
Rizal was selected to !e studied;
studied;
c. :hat are the oals or purpose of this law;
law;
d. <ow will
will it !e implemented;
implemented;
II$ Reactions to the &assa'e of Rizal Law 2t present, the passae of the Responsi!le Parenthood and Reproductive
<ealth 2ct of =1 4Repu!lic
4Repu!lic 2ct 8o. 1=>/35 or popularly "nown as the R.<.
Law was pro!a!ly one of the most controversial laws passed due to the opposin
reactions
reactions of )ilipinos
ilipinos to its
its passae.
passae. There
There were
were that anti and
and pro R< Law who
who
rallied for or aainst its implementation. <alf a century ao, similar thin happened to the Rizal Law. 2ccordin to the historian 2m!eth -campo 4199=5, the de!ate was
so intense that it ended in a ?st ?ht !etween two hot @headed lawma"ers. The
stronest opposition came from the (atholic (hurch, aruin that the law
would violate the freedom of conscience and reliion. They arued that 6Rizal
violated the (hurchAs laws speci?cally (anon Law 1>99, which for!ids !oo"s that
attac" or ridicule any of the catholic domas or which defend errors condemned !y
the <oly See.
LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSE RIZAL They also arued that only / passaes of the 8oli *e Tanere were
patriotic as compared to the 1= passaes that were anti'catholic. )urthermore,
they pointed out that Rizal retracted his Battac"sC on the (atholic (hurch
!efore he was executed. They maintained that )ilipinos could still venerate
him as a national hero even without readin the two novels and that )ilipino
students could read other wor"s done !y Rizal instead of the two 8ovels. The
(atholic (hurchC opposition went up to the extent of threatenin reliious
sanctions to all the supporters of the law. 2 !ishop wrote a letter to Rafael
Palma a !iorapher of Rizal, sayin that 6we prohi!it under the pain of sin and
canonical sanctions the readin, "eepin or retention of the same D8oli and &l )iliE
whether in oriinal or in translation in the 2rchdiocese of *anila and (e!u.
Read the full text of the (F(PCs statement opposin the Rizal Law in the followin
we!site% http%GGwww.c!cponline.netGdocumentsG19/=sG19/0'novelsHofHrizal.html
2mon the prominent BdefendersC of Rizal Law was Sen. (laro *.
Recto who was the author of the law and fouht hard for its passae despite the
threat of losin votes and reliious sanctions. <e assailed the people who opposed
the law !y sayin that ?htin aainst the law is li"e ?htin Rizal and
attemp tin to 6!lot out his memory. The supporters of the !ill maintained that
law would uplift )ilipino sense of identity and nationalism especially durin that
time when )ilipino sense of identity and nationalism was dwindlin and the
prevalence of 2merican neocolonialism in the Philippines. 2fter lon and divisive
de!ates, the Rizal Law was passed with certain provisions that served as
compromise !etween two opposin sides. -ne of these compromises is the
exemption iven to those who feel that their fai th is damaed !y readin of RizalCs
novels provided, that they ?le a sworn statement statin as such as stated in Sec.
1o f the Rizal Law.
III$ Historical (ac)'ro*n+ of the ,-th.ent*r/# S0ain an+ &hili00ines $ose RizalCs ideas and philosophies in life could !e !etter understood in the
context of his time. The historical context of $ose Rizal allows us to see the
prevailin social, economic, political and cultural conditions of Spanish colonial
reime in the Philippines and how these inIuenced Rizal.
.on+itions in S0ain #urin the ?rst three +uarters of the 19 th century, Spain has !een in turmoil
especially when it was con+uered !y )rance. :hen the monarchy was restored in
1J13, )ernando K returned to a!solutism Da!solute power is vested in the monarch
e.i. the "inE. :hen he died he passed his crown to his infant dauhter sa!el, under
the reency Da overnment or period in which a person Greent rules in place of the
"inG+ueenE of her mother *aria (ristina. (ivil war !ro"e out when #on (arlos, the
"inCs youner !rother was claimin the throne. 2s a result, revolts !etween the
Li!erals 4supporters of *aria (ristina5 and (arlists 4supporters of #on (arlos5
ensued. n 1JJ0, when sa!ella !ecame +ueen, a revolution aainst her too" place
and she was forced to a!dicate. 2lfonso of Spain !ecame "in, which ?nally
!rouht Spain into a period of sta!ility and reform. Social .on+ition in the &hili00ines &vents in the Spain had implications on her colonies. The Philippines and
(u!a are two of the colonies that had waed a revolution for total emancipation
from Spain. The political, social, reliious and economic chanes in Spain durin the
latter part of the 19 th century have repercussions in the colonies. n the Philippines
Spain has no clear proram in upliftin the countryAs economy. The *anila'2capulco
Malleon Trade only served the Spanish and (hinese people in the country !ut it did
not help the colony as a whole. t only served as a trans'shipment point !etween
(hina and *exico thus !ene?tin very few )ilipinos. Movernor'enerals initiated
reforms in commerce and ariculture !ut were not enouh to !oost economic
rowth.
n terms of political development, Movernor'enerals who were assined in
the Philippines for a short period of time have failed to implement policies that will
promote development, yet they returned to Spain richer. n the cultural and reliious
aspects, the colonizers failed to implement eNective policies of cultural and
educational advancements. (atholicism was still used as tool for su!uation of the
)ilipinos and friars were very inIuential and powerful that made them de facto
administrators of the colony. ne+ualities amon social classes, discrimination,
inustices, corruption and slavery were very rampant. These inustices and social ills
suNered !y )ilipinos !ecame the su!ect of protest of the Propaanda movement
and served as the Bunifyin causeC of the Philippine Revolution initiated !y the
Oatipunan. The social conditions in the Philippines durin the 19 th century were discussed
!y the propaandists. The Propaanda *ovement was oranized !y )ilipinos in exile
or studyin in &urope. They came from wealthy middleclass families in the
Philippines. The Propaanda movement aimed to expose the worsenin conditions
in the Philippines and as" reforms needed to improve the lives of the )ilipinos. Three
of the wor"s done !y the propaandists exposed the Bsocial illsC that were perennial
and extensive. These wor"s are%
1. 1onarchis2 in the &hili00ines !y *arcelo <. #el Pilar
. %he Distressin' Sit*ation of the &hili00ines !y Mraciano Lopez'$aena
>. On the In+olence of the Fili0inos !y $ose Rizal ...
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