Pampanga barangay in state of calamity due to food poisoning

MASANTOL, Pampanga - A remote sitio in Barangay San Isidro Matua in this bucolic coastal town is now under a state of calamity because of a case of food poisoning which is believed to have affected more than 100 people last week. The victims are members of a Christian group, including children, who showed symptoms of food poisoning in Sitio San Francisco after eating spaghetti served during a thanksgiving party held in the house of a certain Nida Roque last Sunday evening. Her son Marlon Roque was to be ordained pastor of their church. Vice Mayor Bajun Lacap said the municipal council has declared a state of calamity in the barangay to make available some funds to assist the victims in their hospitalization expenses. "Our estimate is that there were more than 100 poisoning victims, including several children," he said. Gerard Calara, councilor of San Isidro Matua, said that Mrs. Roque herself was also hospitalized while her grandson, the son of Marlon, was also rushed to the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in the City of San Fernando after reportedly convulsing. "The poisoning symptoms manifested only in the morning last Monday after they attended their religious affair in the residence of the Roques from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. last Sunday," Lacap said. He said that the victims numbered no less than 100, including children. They complained of stomach aches, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea, he added. "There were too many of them and those who were brought to the Macabebe district hospital had to be turned away because the hospital had already filled up with 36 patients which was its maximum capacity," he said. The local government on Thursday said that it still did not have an exact count of the number of poisoning victims as they were rushed to various hospitals in Macabebe, Apalit, San Fernando, and even as far as Angeles City. "There were balikbayans among the victims and they were rushed to a hospital in Angeles," Lacap said. Calara reported to Lacap that many victims who were discharged after being treated in hospitals returned after they continued to complain of poisoning symptoms. He said, however, that no fatalities were reported yet and only the Roque grandson was reported to be in serious condition. - GMANews.TV