GARCIA, Krizzi Eve D.

2Chem1
It is Equity Not Equality: A Reflection Paper
In my second year as a student in the university still taught me things I never knew I didn’t
know. As I take up minor courses for my program, I never knew its essence until I had the
opportunity to listen to lectures given by my professor in Readings in Philippine History. I was
convinced that the lectures were going to be somewhat boring however, listening to Mr.
Banaag gave me an idea at how important it is to learn the history and relating present
situations to the past. On one lecture that he gave us, I was particularly stricken at how he
made analogies out of the social issues the Philippines is facing right now. With the apparent
injustice in the country right now, the difference between fairness and equality has been untold
to many. I remember exactly what my professor told us at that meeting: Fairness does not
mean equal. In the society today, we often experience situations that compromise our human
rights and we feel entitled to things that we should be having. From the lecture, we tackled
things related to the Filipino concept of justice. Our culture has built a close link between rights
and justice proven from our choice of words in the past. We have given direct translations the
words rights and justice which are karapatan and katarungan. Social justice for Filipinos can
mean another for other cultures and one must respect that. It was emphasized on the
discussion on how we should truly define the word fairness because we often associate fairness
with equality however it can mean otherwise. Social justice in the Philippines is taken seriously
by the people demonstrated through the laws in the constitution protecting and promoting
justice. Differentiating fairness with equality can be complicated task given with the close
association we had built with the two terms. Fairness means impartial and just treatment
without favoritism or discrimination. On the other hand, equality can be defined as the state of
being equal. Equal in the sense that everyone is given with the same opportunities or privilege
focusing on acquiring the same outcome. However, giving or treating everyone with the same
opportunities may not be fair. An example given would be a farmer and a doctor. A farmer and
a doctor can receive equal amount of money for the amount of labor they worked for but it
cannot be fair for the other party who must be given a larger amount. Our social justice today
seeks equity and not equality. Equity is about treating individuals fairly based on their needs
and requirements. Equity ensures that all the individuals are provided the resources they need
to have access to the same opportunities. The concept of equity focuses on the diversity among
people thus providing them with the right amount of opportunities fairly. The social justice that
Filipinos have today are remnants of the past influences of our invaders and its true purpose
must be taken into account. Reviewing its status and real purpose which was to serve and
protect the people’s rights and privileges must be atop above all others. As we, the Filipino
people, the nation that was oppressed by other nations long time ago, must be an advocate of
social justice and be aware of injustices present in the country. Implemented laws don’t exactly
tell fairness is a concept favoring everyone, being critical and aware is a significant thing we
must all do as citizens of the Philippines.