Suspected food poisoning downs 80 in Maguindanao del Sur

Health workers from Rural Health Unit of the South Upi local government attend to a child affected by a suspected case of food poisoning on  Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Amaialiah Mayordomo)

COTABATO CITY—At least 80 persons, mostly children, have complained of abdominal pain and dizziness in a suspected case of food poisoning after eating chicken stewed with coconut milk at a traditional wedding rite in a remote village in Maguindanao del Sur on Thursday, officials said on Friday.

South Upi Mayor Reynalbert Insular said of the 80 patients, 49 remained in the community hospital but are now in stable condition.

The patients were guests during the “Uyot,” a traditional wedding rite of the indigenous Teduray tribe in Barangay Pandan, South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur.

Insular said that hundreds of Teduray folk from the villages of Pandan and Kigan attended the tribal wedding at 3 p.m. on April 24.

“Three of those who remained in the hospital are children aged 12 years old and below,” Insular said in the vernacular.

Rebecca Tenorio, a nurse of South Upi Municipal Hospital, said other patients were moved to Datu Blah Sinsuat District Hospital in nearby Upi town in Maguindanao del Norte.

Local health authorities are still conducting an investigation.

“I encourage everyone to be extra careful during food preparation to avoid similar incidents in the future,” Insular said.