Students in ‘hysteria’ case told to stay home

THE 11 female students involved in a suspected episode of mass hysteria in Quiot High School last Monday were told to stay home starting today.

They will be excused from going to school until they recover, said Danilo Gudilusao, acting chief of the Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City office.

He said school officials will monitor their conditions. The school’s guidance counselor Rizalina Manloloyo was also advised how to guide teachers handling the situation.

At 9 a.m. yesterday, five more students showed signs of unusual behavior in class.

One was asthmatic, said Manloloyo. Other girls fainted. When they regained consciousness, their limbs were stiff.

Manloloyo recounted that one student went up a hilly portion and threw stones at other students without any provocation.

Another student had a strange look in her eyes while another classmate spat on a crucifix that was thrust at her. The affected students were from Grades 7, 8 and 9.

A nun who conducts catechism classes in the school said one of the students had skipped breakfast, causing her to faint.

Emmanuel Hernani, a clinical psychologist of Cebu Normal University(CNU), said young students can be vulnerable to mass hysteria when they are beset by depression, stress and psychological problems.

Other factors could be lack of food and water intake, and sleep deprivation as well as stimulants like coffee, , energy drinks and even junk food.

Hernani said the school should investigate the students to see if they have problems at home.

Manloloyo said the students were kept busy practicing for their school activities.

Last Friday and Saturday, the students went camping. Manloloyo said most of the students hardly slept because of their activities.

Manloloyo said she rejected one parent’s suggestion to bring the students to a quack doctor.

“We are having novena Mass every Friday, but how come things such as these happened?,” Manloloyo asked.

Hernani said the incident appears to be a case of mass hysteria and not demonic possession.

He said possessed persons would show unnatural behavior like speaking in foreign languages, levitating without any physical aid, displaying vicious strength and distoring t his or her facial features and appearance.

They also exhibit hostility towards religious items while those afflicted by hysteria usually don’t, Hernani said.

Quiot barangay captain Vicente Ramos Jr. arranged for a Holy Mass to be held at the school today in order to ease the tension among students.