9 hospitalized in South Cotabato after eating spoiled cake, porridge

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Nine persons were brought to the hospital Monday morning hours after eating cake and porridge in Banga, South Cotabato, health officials said.

The victims, now confined at the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital here, are residents of Barangay San Vicente in Banga town.

Seven of the victims were children aged 1 to 12 years old, according to Valerie Salazar, one of the victims. Two others were adults.

Salazar said the victims attended a birthday party of a relative on Sunday night and feasted on a cake bought Sunday morning.

“We experienced abdominal pain and diarrhea, while some vomited,” she told reporters.

Dr. Conrado Brania, chief of South Cotabato Provincial Hospital, said the victims could have been poisoned by spoiled cake and porridge.

Only the children remained in the hospital, as of Monday afternoon, while the two adults have been discharged.  SFM