In the aftermath of major incidents such as typhoon or whenever a major disaster strikes, we often hear the line: “Lahat tayo naapektuhan, kaya lahat dapat may
ayuda“.
It sounds good. It sounds fair. But in real disaster operations, this idea can actually harm the people who need help the most. The poorest, the most vulnerable, the voiceless, those living in peripheries.
Let’s talk about equality versus equity—and why understanding this difference can literally save lives.
Equality: Lahat pare-pareho ang matatanggap. Everyone gets the same relief goods, the same amount financial aid, the same support.
Equity: Lahat may natatanggap, pero ayon sa pangangailangan. Those who lost their homes get more help. Those whose house were lightly damaged get less. Those who were barely affected may not need relief at all.
This is not discrimination—this is fairness.
Reality check: Hindi unlimited ang resources ng gobyeno. Relief goods, shelter materials, food packs, and financial assistance all come from limited public funds. These are meant to address basic, urgent needs—especially for families who lost almost everything. These whose capacity to bounce back from the impact of disaster is close to zero.
If we insist on giving the same assistance to everyone, even for those who were barely affected:
The supplies for severely affected families get reduced
- Assistance get delayed
- Resources get wasted
- Recovery becomes slower for the most vulnerable
- Critical aid for the severely affected gets deluted.
- People who can recover by themselves still line-up for relief
- It encourages dependency, not resilience
- It opens the door for abuse.
- Families who lost homes
- Communities with no food and water
- People exposed to flood, landslide and storm surge and any other threats in general
- Vulnerable groups: elderly, PWD’s, single parents, indigenous people and low-income families.
“Lahat dapat meron” sounds nice… but here’s what actually happens: Some people deliberately exaggerate their loses just to claim assistance meant for families who lost everything. This is injustice—and a form of corruption.
The goal is not to give equally. The goal is help people survive. A fair relief system prioritizes:
That is what “no one left behind” truly means-everyone receives the help they need, but not necessarily the same help.
Equity = Compassion + Common Sense. Helping everyone the same way is actually unfair. Helping everyone based on the severity of their situation is what justice looks like. In disaster response, the principle of equity protects lives, protects resources, and protects the dignity of those who suffered the hardest blow.
So next time someone say’s “dapat lahat meron,”Let’s remember: Hindi lahat pareho ang naging pinsala. Hindi lahat pareho ang kailangan. At ang tunay na hustisya ay nababatay sa pangangailangan, hindi sa pantay-pantay na hatian.
