Food poisoning downs 133 Makati pupils

A TOTAL OF 133 students from a public elementary school in Makati City were treated for suspected food poisoning on Thursday after eating food bought from the school canteen.

A few minutes after their 9:30 a.m. break, several students of the Gen. Pio del Pilar Elementary School on Arnaiz Avenue corner P. Binay Street complained of severe abdominal pain, headache, dizziness and vomiting.

Initially, only five students were affected but the number went up an hour later, according to Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña, quoting school officials.

Forty-four students later ended up seeking treatment at the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) for the same symptoms while the 24/7 health center in Barangay Palanan treated 89 students. Most of the victims were from the fourth to sixth grades and between 9 and 13 years old.

A lot of the students said that they felt ill after eating chocolate-flavored Rebisco biscuits which school canteen personnel had delivered to their classroom.

Stephanie Mangubat, a Grade 6 student, told the Inquirer that she came down with a headache and felt dizzy while 11-year-old Vince Martin Abrugar said his stomach started to ache.

Mangubat told the Inquirer that it was the school’s policy to deliver food to their classrooms instead of having them go to the canteen to maintain order on the campus during break-time.

The students added that their classmates also bought other food such as soup and juice drinks.

Samples of the biscuit shown to the Inquirer by the parents of one of the students bought to the Palanan health center showed no expiration date on the wrapper.

A report from Makati health officials said that some students had claimed that the expiration date on some of the biscuits had been erased.

Sought for comment, Rebisco said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident. As of now, we have no concrete details yet. We are doing our best to conduct a thorough investigation to find out all the facts and will cooperate with the proper authorities to ensure that this matter is resolved.”

“The Rebisco group’s top priority will always be the safety and well-being of its consumers.” said Jasmine C. Baac, the company’s customer relations manager.

In a medical bulletin, the Ospital ng Makati said that no one among the students was in critical condition with everyone set to be discharged yesterday afternoon. Those who sought treatment at the health center were also sent home after their condition improved with medicine.

“They were all given oral rehydration solution to make sure they were hydrated,” Dr. Janina Bianca Ortiz of OsMak said.

According to her, they were still trying to determine what caused the symptoms felt by the students, noting that it was unclear whether this was caused by solid food or something they drank.

Ortiz said that they would have to subject to tests some of the food samples taken from the students to identify the cause.

Peña, meanwhile, ordered the Makati Health Department and the city police to investigate the suspected food poisoning case.

“The public may rest assured that the city government will do its best to prevent a repeat of the unfortunate incident,” he said.