Food poisoning downs 48 students

ILOILO CITY — Fortyeight students from different secondary schools in San Dionisio town of Iloilo were rushed to the hospital due to diarrhea and stomach pain after they took their lunch provided by a caterer.

The victims were participants of the 3-day Barkada Kontra Droga encampment held in Dumangas town, supposedly from January 12 (Friday) to January 14 (Sunday), but then at 4 p.m. on January 13 (Saturday), hours after their lunch of pork and corn, they started complaining of stomach ache.

Therese, a student of Hacienda Conchita National High School, said they took their lunch at around 12:00 noon. "I did not taste anything unusual. In fact, the food was delicious," she said, until she began complaining of pain in the stomach.

Initially, she thought that it was only her bout with stomachache, but she went to the nearest hospital for checkup. Shortly after however, other students began arriving and also complained of stomach upset.

All the students were given intravenous fluids, and most of them were discharged early morning of Sunday.

Chief Inspector Rene Obregon, Dumangas police chief, said there was no reports of any victim who was in serious condition.

The caterer, a certain Joel Dionela, has assured the public that it would shoulder the medical expenses incurred by the students.

Dionela has also talked for an arrangement with Dr. Eugenio Mallorca, principal of Dumangas National High School, and lawyer Phoebe Fanco, the event's coordinator. The caterer admitted that there could have a problem with the food preparation that caused the food poisoning.

Mayor Ronaldo Golez also extended the Local Government unit's help to the victims.

Now on its sixth year, the Barkada Kontra Droga is a peerbased preventive education and information program to counter the dangers and ill effects of drug abuse.

In Iloilo, it was on its second year to be held at Dumangas. There were around 4,000 participants who are junior and senior high school students.

The encampment features symposia and lecture on the ill effects of illegal drugs. There was several literary-musical contests, and a female and male beauty pageant.