Kids with Down’s syndrome get culinary training

An international school for hotel management and the culinary arts with a branch in the Philippines said Filipino children with Down’s syndrome can still acquire jobs and become bosses.

Bel Castro, a faculty member of the Food and Beverage Service of the Enderun Colleges in Ortigas, Pasig City, said Down’s syndrome children are just like other students when trained and supervised properly, adding that mentors and parents should not push them beyond their capabilities.

"For me, my short term goal is to get some of these more functional children nice jobs, but my long term goal is for these students to become bosses someday," she said, referring to the four children coming from different schools with Down’s syndrome.

These children acted as waiters and waitresses in a culinary class yesterday, with the assistance of Enderun’s students and instructors.

Castro said the one-day activity is in line with the celebration of the National Down Syndrome Consciousness Month, which aims to boost the self-esteem of Filipino children with Down’s syndrome, regardless of their socio-economic status.

In fact, Castro said they are planning to hire students with Down’s syndrome in their school in the future.

"It’s the first time we’re doing this, and we’re planning to do this annually," she said, adding these Down’s syndrome children are highly functional.

Castro said the activity also allowed their 95 freshman students to gain experience in assisting students with disabilities.

Meanwhile, Dr. Eva Maria dela Paz, assistant director of the Institute of Human Genetics of the University of the Philippines-Manila, said one in every 800 babies born in a day worldwide has Down’s syndrome, which is one of the most common birth abnormalities in the world.

Dela Paz said Filipino students with Down’s syndrome are not yet ready for mainstreaming, which is the reason why they are put in special schools.

However, as doctors, they don’t want to limit the capabilities of these children. She added that having Down’s syndrome is not a hindrance to opportunities if these people are provided with proper interaction and a conducive environment.

She said Down’s syndrome is caused by a chromosomal abnormality and that 95 percent of cases are not hereditary in nature.

Only three to four percent of Down’s syndrome children have the translocation type of Down’s syndrome, wherein one of the parents carries an abnormal balance of chromosomes.

Down’s syndrome, or trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British doctor who first described it in 1866.

The condition is characterized by a combination of major and minor differences in body structure. Often Down’s syndrome, formerly known as mongolism, is associated with some impairment of cognitive ability and physical growth, as well as differences in facial appearance. Down’s syndrome is usually identified at birth.

Enderun Colleges, which opened in the country in June last year, is offering a Bachelor’s Degree in International Hospitality Management major in Hotel Administration or Culinary Arts.