Assignment No. 1 in Rizal's Life and Works (1st Sem, AY 2011-2012)

1. Read the following laws concerning the implementation of Rizal Law and other related matters. Then answer the questions that follow. Click each law/directive to read it online. 

Rizal Laws:

1. Republic Act 1425 

2. Republic Act 229

3. Memorandum Order No. 247

4. CHED Memorandum Order No. 3, series of 1995

Questions:

a. What is the importance of studying the life, works, and writings of Dr. Jose P. Rizal to you as a student and as a Filipino citizen?

b. Given the premise that Rizal is the national hero of the Philippines, do you think "Rizal's Life and Works" subject should be taught MANDATORY in all schools? Think as if RA 1425 does not yet exist. Justify your position.

2. Read the article written by Ambeth Ocampo titled “The fight over the Rizal Law” in Philippine Daily Inquirer on May 4, 2007. Write a commentary on his article.

Memorandum Order No. 247

MALACANANG
MANILA

MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 247

DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORTS AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO FULLY IMPLEMENT REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1425 ENTITLED "AN ACT TO INCLUDE IN THE CURRICULA OF ALL PUBLIC AND 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, Republic Act No. 1425 approved on June 12, 1956, directs all schools, colleges and universities, public and private, to include in their curricula, courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo which "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, according to Dr. Rizal, "the school is the book in which is written the future of the nation;"

WHEREAS, in 1996, the Filipino people will commemorate the centennial of Rizal’s martyrdom and, two years thereafter, the centennial of the Declaration of Philippine Independence; and

WHEREAS, as we prepare to celebrate these watershed events in our history, it is necessary to rekindle in the heart of every Filipino, especially the youth, the same patriotic fervor that once galvanized our forebears to outstanding achievements so we can move forward together toward a greater destiny as we enter the 21st century.

NOW, THEREFORE, I FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, hereby direct the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports and the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education to take steps to immediately and fully implement the letter, intent and spirit of Republic Act No. 1425 and to impose, should it be necessary, appropriate disciplinary action against the governing body and/or head of any public or private school, college or university found not complying with said law and the rules, regulations, orders and instructions issued pursuant thereto.

Within thirty (30) days from issuance hereof, the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports and the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education are hereby directed to jointly submit to the President of the Philippines a report on the steps they have taken to implement this Memorandum Order, and one (1) year thereafter, another report on the extent of compliance by both public and private schools in all levels with the provisions of R.A. No. 1425.

This Memorandum Order takes effect immediately after its issuance.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 26th day of December in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Four.

(SGD.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President

Republic Act No. 229

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 229

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT COCKFIGHTING, HORSE RACING AND JAI-ALAI ON THE THIRTIETH DAY OF DECEMBER OF EACH YEAR AND TO CREATE A COMMITTEE TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE PROPER CELEBRATION OF RIZAL DAY IN EVERY MUNICIPALITY AND CHARTERED CITY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The existing laws and regulations to the contrary notwithstanding, cockfighting, horse racing and jai-alai are hereby prohibited on the thirtieth day of December each year, the date of the martyrdom of our great hero, Jose Rizal.

SECTION 2. It shall be the official duty of the mayor of each municipality and chartered city to create a committee to take charge of the proper observance of Rizal Day Celebration of each year, in which he shall be the chairman, which shall be empowered to seek the assistance and co-operation of any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the Government, and the local civic and educational institutions. Among the ceremonies on Rizal Day shall be the raising of the Philippine flag at half mast in all vessels and public buildings.

SECTION 3. Any person who shall violate the provisions of this Act or permit or allow the violation thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not exceeding two hundred pesos or by imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both, at the discretion of the court. In case he is the mayor of a municipality or a chartered city he shall suffer an additional punishment of suspension from his office for a period of one month. In case of partnerships, corporations or associations, the criminal liability shall devolve upon the president, director, or any other official responsible for the violation thereof.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 9, 1948.

The fight over the Rizal Law by Ambeth Ocampo

The fight over the Rizal Law

By Ambeth Ocampo
Inquirer
First Posted 01:53am (Mla time) 05/04/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- While writing the conclusion of this two-part column, I caught a story on CNN regarding a new hurdle for prospective immigrants to the United States. Aside from an English proficiency test, they now have to pass an oral history test before they are granted US citizenship. Americans were not comfortable with the history pop quiz, considering this better suited for “Jeopardy” than the US Immigration and Naturalization Service. A review class was shown with the teacher reminding the students about the colors of the American flag. While most knew it was red, white and blue, someone added yellow into the mix. Knowledge of history, it was argued, made a better citizen.


We are ruled by many laws, yet we rarely read these if only to gain an appreciation of their spirit and intent. Republic Act 1425, better known as the Rizal Law, was passed to teach Filipino students nationalism or love of country as expressed in the life and writings of Jose Rizal. The preamble states that it is the duty of schools “to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience, and to teach the duties of citizenship.” On those general terms, there is nothing controversial except that one of the means to that end was to make Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo” required reading in schools. Considering the novels, in part, anti-Catholic, the Church could not accept these as “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,” as the law states.


Going through the novels with a fine-tooth comb, specific passages were deemed offensive to the Catholic faith. Church spokesmen argued that Catholics could read selected passages from Rizal’s work, but to compel Catholics to read Rizal’s novels in its “unexpurgated” or uncensored version was to force heresy on them and violate their freedom of conscience. Catholic schools put up a good fight and even threatened to close down if the Rizal bill was passed. Claro M. Recto calmly told them to go ahead so the state could then nationalize all the schools and teach what it wanted. The Church retreated but threatened to “punish” erring legislators in future elections. Recto was undaunted.


A compromise was suggested with a proposal to use “expurgated” versions of the novels as textbooks, with the “unexpurgated” copies to be kept under lock and key in the school libraries, to be used or made available only at the discretion and or approval of higher school officials. Recto pushed ahead. He did not want an adulterated reading of the novels, he did not want a watered-down bill and 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. Now that Rizal is dead and they can no longer attempt at his life, they are attempting to blot out his memory.”


Section 1 of RA 1425 states: “Courses on the life, works and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels, 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 or their English translations shall be used as basic texts.”


It is clear from this that students are to read either the original Spanish or translations of these, and that they should be read whole and unedited, yet a compromise is also found in the law: “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 promulgate rules and regulations, including those of a disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the regulations of this Act. The Board shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for the exemption of students, for reason 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.”


It is not well known that an exemption from the reading of the novels, based on religious belief, is available, but not exemption from the course. To date nobody has applied for this exemption. Besides, anyone who wants to avail himself of it won’t know how to go about it.


The next two sections have to do with making the novels available. Section 2 directs schools to keep “an adequate” number of copies of the novels in their libraries. Do school libraries today have enough on the shelves to serve the entire school population? What is the intent of the law, to make copies available free for every student or merely keep enough for reference?


Section 3 adds that the Board of National Education should have the novels translated into the major Philippine languages, “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 the Barrio Councils throughout the country.”


Can we go to our “barangay” [villages] today and get copies of Rizal’s novels for free? I doubt it. But returning to the law and knowing how it came to help us appreciate the rationale for having Rizal taught in schools today.


* * *
Comments are welcome at aocampo@ateneo.edu.


Source: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=63978

CHED Memorandom Order No. 3, s. 1995

COMMISSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Office of the President of the Philippines

January 13, 1995

CHED MEMORANDUM
No. 3, s. 1995

To:
Head of State Colleges and Universities
Head of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities
Office of the President Memorandum Order No. 247

Re: Implementation of Republic Act No. 1425

1. Enclosed is a copy of Memorandum Order No. 247 dated December 26, from the Office of the President of the Philippines entitled, "Directing Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports and the CHAIRMAN OF COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION to fully implement the Republic Act No. 1425 entitled "An Act to include in the curricula of all public and 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" for guidance of all concerned.
2. Strict compliance therewith is requested.

(sgd) MONA D. VALISNO
Commissioner
Officer-in-Charge