Legislative Course

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Impact of RA 1425 to Students

R.A. 1425 was a bill passed by Carlo M. Recto and was the original author of the bill in 1956. Along side Jose P. Laurel Sr. they sponsored the bill to have it as a requirement to all high school and college students to read about the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo and learn more about

the life, works and accomplishments of our National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. In the bill, it quotes “whereas, today, more than any other period of our history, where is a need for re-dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died.” The Author’s main purpose is to bring back nationalism to the hearts of the Filipino nation. It was not easy for the author to pass the bill due to some factors that prevents the bill to be passed. Factors like the novels being anti- catholic due to this, the Church was really against the bill, which also affected politics that threatened candidacies of some known politicians during that time. The problems also caused the bill to be revised by Sen. Jose P. Laurel, which there are some exemptions in the courses. After the revisions were made, the bill was passed and is now implemented as a law in the Philippines.

Now, how does the law RA 1425 affects the Filipino youth? The main intentions of the people behind this law, is to value the accomplishments and how Dr. Jose Rizal made a difference in our society. But truth be told, students see the implemented law only as a subject to be passed for them to finish their studies. Most of the students are forced to take the subject because it is part of the schools requirements and curriculum. Most students don’t care about the law; in fact, they were surprised to find out that the subject was an implemented law. They only found out that it was a law when they took up the course and I think that is the only way students would find out. Students consider the law as any other subject that they need to pass. After passing that subject they move on to another and often times they forget the lessons that they learned. It also depends on how the professor presents his/her lessons to their students. Students pay attention when there is something different on how a professor presents their lessons. Going back to the subject, the law’s impacts to students are very minimal. If you observe the students after taking up the course, you will begin wonder why did they implement such law if a big number of students don’t even value what they have learned from the subject that is an implemented law. Yes, Ra 1425 is just a subject that needs to be passed and an implemented law. But it has more to offer us because it is part of our country’s history. Students should see that Rizal is no different from us; he’s just a normal person that excelled in studying and dedicated his life for his country.

Nationalism is showing one’s love for his/her country, which is Carlo M. Recto’s purpose why he created the bill. In my own opinion, it actually depends on how students apply what they have learned from his/her previous lessons. Some students are very idealistic and some students who just sit and listen and when they hear the bell ring they forget most of the lessons they learned. Students who are dedicated might have a better chance to open their eyes and see what is really going on in our society and some are just plain ignorant. Rizal’s time is no different than our time as what we have learned from Kaspil1. We can relate to his time because inequality, discrimination, and corruption is still present today though it is not that worse not like Rizal’s time. It is what we make of what we have learned and how we apply it in relation to real life. The way I see it, nationalism is still present in us. One example is how we support our fellow Filipinos who are in the Olympics, how Filipinos become one when something controversial happens, how we become proud of our Filipino blood and many other factors that we are really a nationalist country. I believe that the law also has a part that affected us we just don’t know it.

Jaime Jerome Santos