By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY — Around 90 Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets allegedly fell victim to food poisoning in Iloilo on Wednesday night, June 17.
They were taken to hospitals after experiencing symptoms such as vomiting and stomach pain.
The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (PHO) confirmed that the victims were brought to Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan, Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center in Barotac Nuevo, Ramon D. Duremdes District Hospital in Dumangas, and Don Valerio Palmares Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Passi City.
“Many of them have since been discharged,” said Iloilo PHO chief Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon on Thursday, June 18.
The cadets, who came from across Western Visayas, were attending the ROTC Summer Camp at Camp Hernandez in Dingle when the incident occurred.
The PHO Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU) is collecting samples of the food and water consumed by the cadets.
Those hospitalized reportedly ate pork adobo for dinner and began showing symptoms about 30 minutes later.
Quiñon said the food and water must undergo confirmatory tests to determine the cause of the food-borne illness.
