One Gene:One Child

One Gene: One Child is an outreach program of The UPLB Genetics Society which is held regularly at the Hope Intervention Center in Calamba City - the first special education center in CaLaBaRZon. The program was started in 2007.

The Hope Intervention Center in Calamba City is a school for children diagnosed with autism and related developmental disabilities. Autism is a nuero-developmental disability that affects a child’s ability to communicate and interact socially. With support from the City Social Services Office of Calamba, special-education teachers and Autism Society of the Philippines professionals, the school was established in 1998 as the San Jose Day Care Center by parents who wanted special education (SPEd) for their children. From having eight students, one SPEd consultant and SPEd teacher, the Hope Intervention Center serves more than 30 students from surrounding towns in Laguna and Batangas with an increased number of SPEd teachers, assistant teachers and occupational therapists. The Center is the Centennial Community Project of the Rotary Club of Calamba. The school is headed by Ms. Minerva Obrince.

Reference: The Rotarian. February 2005 Issue.

Objectives of the Program

• To have each member, a gene, reach out to one special child;
• To expose the members of the society to a totally different environment of the autistic;
• To give donations and attention to Hope Intervention Center, the first and only public autistic school in the Philippines;
• To promote and create awareness about autism and the Hope Intervention Center; and
• To encourage agencies, institutions and individuals to give donations and support to Hope Intervention Center and its public library.

The program is managed by the Hope Intervention Committee and was initiated by Ms. Mary Rachel Raventar who was later selected as the first head of the ad hoc committee (A.Y. 2007-2008).