Outbreak declared in Bacolod over food poisoning

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The Bacolod City health office (CHO) declared yesterday a “food and waterborne diseases outbreak” as the number of students who fell ill due to suspected food poisoning increased.

Grace Tan, head of the CHO environmental sanitation division, said the number of patients admitted in various hospitals rose to 145, but only 11 had been discharged.

The students complained of stomach pains, fever, diarrhea and vomiting after drinking fruit juice and eating halo-halo, fried chicken and ice candy sold at the school canteen and food stalls outside the school on Friday.

Classes were suspended at the Hamduman Elementary Schools 1 and 2 until yesterday as an investigation into the incident was ongoing.

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia ordered the CHO and the Department of Education to conduct a seminar on food safety and proper food handling to canteen operators and ambulant vendors in public elementary high schools in the city to prevent a similar incident.