HomeGAWI: Journal on Culture Studiesvol. 2 no. 2 (2017)

130 Years of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere: Revisiting A Cultural Treasure, Reviving A National Inspiration

Marlon Patrick P. Lofredo

 

Abstract:

Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere is considered to be the greatest literary work produced by a Filipino. From its writing to its publication, it was destined to be prohibited. From its clandestine distribution to its inevitable popularity, it was meant to become a compulsory reading. It inspired a revolution, it moved a nation to seek and fight for her freedom. The Rizal Law, Republic Act 1425 titled “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,” embodies the enduring legacy of the books 130 Years of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere: Revisiting A Cultural Treasure, Reviving A National Inspiration  of Rizal when it said they “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.”