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<a href="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/rizals-business-card.webp" rel="lightbox">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/rizals-business-card.webp"  alt="Dr. Jose Rizal professional card when in Hongkong" />
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(Dr. Jose Rizal's professional card when in Hongkong (from Lineage, life and labors of Jose Rizal, Austin Craig, 1914))
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<h3>
The Birth of the Rizal Act
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<p>
The push for the Rizal Act began years earlier, driven by a growing recognition of Rizal's role as a national hero and intellectual luminary. In 1952, Representative Joaquin R. Roces of Manila proposed House Bill No. 5561, which aimed to honor Rizal's contributions by making his works a mandatory part of Philippine education. However, it wasn't until 1956 that the bill gained traction. Senator <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/921/today-in-philippine-history-february-8-1890-claro-m-recto-was-born-in-tiaong-tayabas" class="news_link">Claro M. Recto</a>, a staunch nationalist and the bill's primary sponsor in the Senate, championed its passage, refining it into Senate Bill No. 438. Despite fierce opposition, the bill was approved by both houses of Congress and sent to President Magsaysay, who signed it into law on June 12, 1956.
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<p>
The Rizal Act emerged from a desire to instill patriotism and critical thinking in Filipino youth. Rizal's writings, which exposed the injustices of Spanish colonial rule and inspired the 1896 Philippine Revolution, were seen as vital tools for nurturing a sense of national pride and civic responsibility.
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<h3>
Overcoming Opposition
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The road to the Rizal Act's passage was not without controversy. The Catholic Church, a powerful institution at the time, opposed the bill, arguing that Rizal's novels contained anti-clerical themes that could undermine religious authority. Critics claimed the mandatory study of his works might conflict with the Church's influence over education, particularly in private Catholic schools. To address these concerns, a compromise was reached: unexpurgated (unedited) copies of <i>Noli Me Tangere</i> and <i>El Filibusterismo</i> would be used in schools, but students could be exempted from reading them if their religious beliefs were at odds with the content, provided a written parental request was submitted.
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Today in Filipino History, August 16, 1956, the Rizal act took effect