Quezon gov suspends sale of ‘lambanog’

INSPECTION A policeman inspects a “lambanog” store in Quezon province after cases of methanol poisoning linked to drinking the coconut wine were reported last month. —PHOTO COURTESY OF QUEZON PNP

LUCENA CITY—Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez on Tuesday suspended the sale of “lambanog” (coconut wine) in the province following the deaths of 17 people in different towns recently due to methanol poisoning after they drank the local wine.

“In light of the recent rise in … [the] death toll, allegedly due to intake of lambanog, and pending the result of ongoing investigations, the provincial government of Quezon orders the suspension of commercial sale of lambanog products in the … province until business establishments duly secure the license to operate from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” Suarez said in an advisory posted on his Facebook.

Suarez directed the mayors of the province’s two cities and 39 towns to ensure that wine stores in their areas have the appropriate FDA-issued license to operate. He also tasked the local governments to monitor the sale of lambanog products in their cities and towns.

Victims

Dr. Grace Santiago, Quezon health officer, said the Department of Health (DOH) had recorded 56 victims of suspected lambanog poisoning in the province from Dec. 22 to Dec. 29.

Seventeen of them had died.

A DOH report showed that 501 lambanog drinkers from Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region had been confined in at least 10 hospitals in Metro Manila, Batangas, Laguna and Quezon from Dec. 22 to Dec. 30. Of this, 28 died while undergoing treatment.

Authorities suspected that the lambanog consumed by the victims was a mixture of toxic chemicals, among these methanol, and not a product of natural fermentation and distillation process followed by legitimate producers.

Lambanog, which is produced from coconut sap, called “tuba,” is among the major products of Quezon, one of the country’s biggest coconut producers.Suarez expressed concern that illegally manufactured lambanog was causing “severe damage” on the reputation of one of the province’s heritage products.

“The provincial government is very protective of our lambanog industry. We won’t tolerate unscrupulous local producers around,” Suarez told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

Diego Narzabal, Tayabas City administrator, said the issue was negatively affecting the image of their native product.—DELFIN T. MALLARI JR.