22 kids downed by food poisoning

BACOLOD CITY — Twenty-two Grade 5 and 6 pupils of the Gov. Emilio Gaston Elementary School in Silay City, Negros Occidental, were rushed to the Jose Locsin Memorial Provincial Hospital yesterday morning after eating ukoy, a native delicacy made of grated cassava and shrimp.

Assistant City Health officer Dr. Annabelle Ortiz said that the children complained of stomachache and dizziness while four had vomited before they were brought to the hospital shortly before school started at 7 a.m.

The report from the City Health Office (CHO) showed that the patients bought the delicacy from their classmate, 12-year-old Riza Bancaya, a daughter of food vendor Jennifer Golez, who has been selling foodstuff in the school since 1994.

All children brought to the hospital were in stable condition as of press time yesterday but were still being closely monitored for other symptoms, Ortiz said.

Mayor Carlo Gamban immediately banned the selling of the cassava snack in all schools in the city as a precautionary measure.

He said he does not want a repeat of the tragedy that happened in Bohol last year where 25 school children died of cassava poisoning.

Golez and cassava vendor Alicia Gaspar were brought in for questioning.

Gaspar said that the cassava crops were harvested from their farm in Hacienda San Ramon in Barangay Guimbalaon, also in Silay City.

According to Ortiz, the fried ukoy and the cassava stocks were taken to the CHO and the Department of Health office here for analysis.