13/03/2026
Values Restoration Program
Value Focus of the Week: Equality
Speaker/sharer: Ma'am Ira Adelle S. Ibaรฑez
Equality is the state of being equal with others. It is realistic if everyone has equal rights and opportunities within the same class and condition. Differences in life status and position do not deny the existence of equality. Distinctions in income take place only because of the different degrees of pursuit for a better life, not to mention the varied expertise, talents, skills, abilities, and gifts for which one can earn or gain something. The hierarchy of positions, on the one hand, is only for purposes of organization and function and does not imply inequality. Not everyone can become a leader, and not everyone should remain a follower. The differences in background, culture, language, and heritage are reflections of uniqueness, not inequality.
In the Philippines, there should be no inequality because the government has taken an active role in ensuring equality for all citizens through the enactment of laws and policies that bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, between the aristocrats and the underprivileged, and between those in power and the lay people. Government leaders are not even considered part of the royal class; they are called public servants. In the same vein, the constituents are not subjects but are called the sovereign Filipino people. Even the courts of law have taken into great consideration the application of social justice under exceptional bases so that justice may not only be for the rich and powerful.
Inequality can be attributed to the following: authoritarianism and corruption. Authoritarianism is characterized by oppression and abuse of authority by those in leadership. It is when leaders use their position for personal aggrandizement and to be served, not to serve. It happens when those in power do not reach out to the grassroots. Acts of corruption, on the other hand, occur when impartiality is compromised and injustice is perpetrated. It is when no equal opportunity is given for promotion, employment, or incentives; when others are favored while others are given unjust requirements for the approval of permits, licenses, or delivery of government services; when those who are related to the appointing and approving authority, either by affinity or consanguinity, have better chances and are given more favor than those who are not; and other countless situations where the balance is uncalibrated and unequal. These two major causes of inequality should therefore be eradicated if public offices are to uphold the value of equality.
All of us were born naked, brought nothing into the world, and will soon die physically, bringing nothing to the grave. As George Mason said, "We came as equals into this world, and as equals shall we go out of it." There should be no reason, therefore, that we act superior to anyone. Time is the greatest equalizer. Everyone has twenty-four (24) hours a day, and it is up to us to make the most of them. So while we live and have time, give others equal opportunity, equal privilege, and equal treatment.
