A SWOT ANALYSIS ON RIZAL LAW
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Presented to Dr. Estimada CAS Faculty
In partial fulfilment of the Requirement Requirement of the Subject Rizal
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May 2014
Introduction In school, we students study the life and works of our national hero Jose P. Rizal. Our teachers taught us that the Calamba hero was born as the seventh of the children of Doña Teodora and Don Francisco. We can also remember how he pursued his studies until he was able to travel to different places and encountered different challenges. We can’t as well forget his two of his great works Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. And the event on how he died in Luneta is still in our memories as we observe Rizal Day on December 30 yearly. We Filipinos are until today educated about Dr. Rizal. One can possibly wonder why we are studying our national hero as a subject itself. It is simply because Rizal Course is mandated by law under Republic Act 1425 or known as Rizal Law. Many may not be familiar with this law. This act was before Senate Bill No. 438 written and sponsored by former Senator Claro M. Recto and then written by former Senator Jose P. Laurel as R.A. 1425. On the 12 th day of June 1956, the bill was enacted. Rizal law is made up of six sections that can be conceptualized in the law’s three major provisions. First, it directs educational agencies to include in the curricula of all schools, colleges and universities, public or private, the study of the life of our national hero, with emphasis on the original or unexpurgated versions of the Noli and El Fili. Second, it obliges all the libraries of all schools, colleges and universities to maintain an adequate number of copies of Noli and El Fili in their collections. Third, it directs the Board of National Education to take charge of the translation, reproduction and distribution of printed copies of Rizal’s novels to interested parties through purok organizations and barangay councils, free of charge (Pugay, 2005). In addition, this law before enactment was strongly opposed by the Church. Some members of the Catholic hierarchy found 170 passages in Noli and 50 in El Fili offensive to the Catholic faith (Ocampo, 2000). Catholic schools even threatened to close down, but soon gave up the threat but threatened again to punish legislators in future elections (Ocampo, 2000). On May 12, 1956, Jose P. Laurel, the Committee on Education Chairman, inserted a compromise to accommodate the objections of the Catholic Church and was approved unanimously. The Rizal Law can greatly help us to understand everything about Jose P. Rizal. By this we can inspire the inner hero within us Filipinos. Each one of us can be a Rizal in our family, friends and community. Not to the extent that we should do everything our hero did, but with simple ways we can atleast try to be like him. In the simple way of respecting our parents, being our best in our studies and valuing education- all of these he has done, we can by these simple ways be a hero like Rizal.
Significance of the Law to: Students Rizal law gives an opportunity for every student to experience and become aware of the culture in Rizal’s time. By this, they can actually see how far the Philippine culture have changed and developed through the years. While following the law that the life and works of Rizal must be studied, the students can encounter Spanish words that are used until today in everyday conversations. Thus, the students will be knowledgeable how Spanish culture greatly influenced our own culture and values. This law can also make students value more of the rights that they can freely exercise today. Because they will learn in the writings of Rizal how Filipinos before were deprived of their rights. Most of all, this law indirectly guides us to live according to Rizal’s examples by knowing him and reading him (Pugay, 2005). Government Official Through R.A. 1425, government officials are able to read two of the great writings of Rizal. These are the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. In these novels, they can read how justice is deprived for Filipinos. And even in the life of Rizal, they can learn how injustice was the court officials in his trial. As a government official, they must be the leaders in exercising justice to all of the oppressed. This law can as well remind them of using their power for the goodwill of the nation. Schools Schools act in accordance with R.A. 1425. In this way, the schools, colleges and universities not only complied with the law but helped form historically aware and concerned young citizens (Pugay, 2005). The schools help the dissemination of the life of Rizal through teachers and reading materials. The law abided by the school can aid students or our youth to implant within them the spirit of independence. The teaching of the Rizal course in the classroom is intended to awaken the sense of patriotism and nationalism in every Filipino youth and push them to apply the principles bequeathed by Rizal as solutions to present day problems (Quizon,2011).
SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Republic Act 1425, by having a Rizal course, fosters the preservation of our history and the rich culture in the minds of Filipinos. In this way, we can appreciate more of the freedom that we benefit from today. And we can bring with us our very own culture in the modern times instead of forgetting about it. This law can truly teach various morals in life just through a single person that we acknowledge as a national hero, Jose P. Rizal: Doña Teodora instilled the religious life of our hero; from this we learn that we must be devoted to our religion. And inculcating it to the young minds of children will deeply influence their lives. Another is Jose Rizal’s deep love for the country; from this we are inspired to be a good Filipino citizen. Furthermore he disproved us to use violence in search for freedom instead he encouraged us to educate ourselves in order to be free. By this we will value more our education and not take it for granted. According to former Senator Claro M. Recto, he claimed that without Rizal’s works, there would not be a Filipino bishop today. His novels showed the people’s desire for political freedom and social order . Rizal’s aim was to encourage Filipino nationalism and his means of doing it was writing the actual situation of the Philippines. Also, former Senator Laurel stated that Rizal’s novels contain strengths and weaknesses, virtues and vices of Filipinos and by understanding these novels, they can learn more about these traits and prepare themselves for what is about to happen. Weaknesses Before the passing of Rizal Law, various Church men, groups and individuals had strongly opposed it. Their argument is that Rizal’s nove ls were more anti-Catholic than antiSpanish in nature. According to Fr.Jesus Ma. Cavanna, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo belonged to different milieu and that teaching them would misrepresent current conditions. The Rizal Law alone is not sufficient to meet its own purpose to encourage nationalism. There are many acts of nationalism than just studying a hero’ s life such as building historical museums for Filipinos to discover more about Philippine history, providing more interesting reading materials about Philippine history, culture, ethics, and literature and other various forms of nationalism. The law itself cannot guarantee quality education in Rizal Course because not every teacher can teach it with enthusiasm to the students of the modern days. This is beyond the control of the law. Students nowadays are not much interested in studying Rizal’ s life and also begin to question the relevance of the subject itself in the course they are taking. Thus, students lose their attention making the study of Rizal ineffective.
Opportunities The Rizal Law can give opportunity to those who have potential in literature. The writings of Rizal can help them in their own writings. His writings can give them ideas on how to make a poem, novel or essay more meaningful and of class. Filipinos can also have an opportunity to experience being in different places as Rizal himself is a traveller. The law can as well challenge teachers to be creative on how should they present their lessons in Rizal in order to be appealing to the students. And teachers can direct their students to read novels of Rizal and allow them to analyze if the plots of the novels still apply to our present situation. Provocative questions must be asked among learners in order to allow them to think critically (Pugay, 2005). Threats According to former Archbishop of Manila, Rufino Santos, Catholic students would be affected if compulsory reading of the unexpurgated version were pushed through. 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 (Ocampo, 2007). Remedial Measures Weaknesses Teaching the course should not only involve memorizing and reading the novel, instead a presentation of Rizal as an ordinary boy or student who exerted his utmost efforts to be a great and functional person will be highly appreciated by students, while also taking note of his flaws as a person and how he surmounted them through his strengths (Pugay, 2005). The Rizal law’s purpose to encourage nationalism can be strengthened if the government will give attention to the conservation of our history and culture. The government can make programs that will enliven our spirit of nationalism. And seminars for teachers about new techniques in teaching Rizal course may be made so that the students can effectively learn Rizal. Threats The bill was passed with a clause that would give exemptions to those who feel that reading Rizal’s novels would damage his or her faith. One can go to the Department of Education with an affidavit attesting to one’s brittle faith and get an exemption - not from Rizal course that you still have to take- but from reading the novels of Rizal (Ocampo, 2000).
Bibliography References A. Books 1. Zaide, Gregorio F., & Zaide, Sonia M. (1999). Jose Rizal: Life, Works and Writings of a Genius, Writer, Scientist and National Hero. Quezon City: All-Nations Publishing Co., Inc. 2. Ocampo, Ambeth. (2000). Rizal Without the Overcoat. Pasig City: Anvil Publishing, Inc.
B. Government Agency 1. Pugay, Chris Antonette. National Historical Institute. Jose Rizal’s heroism and the Rizal Course.
C. Newspaper 1. Ocampo, Ambeth. (2007). Looking Back: The Fight Over Rizal Law. Philippine Inquirer
D. Online Souces 1. Spark, M. (2011). The Rizal Law and Its Significance Today. Retrieved May 23, 2014, from http://midorispark.designplusph.com/kaspil1-mp/index.php/information/filipinonationalism/rizal-law-and-its-significance-today 2. (2012, 12). Ra 1425 Joseriz. StudyMode.com. Retrieved May 23, 2014, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Ra-1425-Joseriz1284471.htmlhttps://filipinoscribbles.wordpress.com/tag/republic-act-no-1425/ 3. Rizal
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