M'LANG, North Cotabato (PNA) – Thirty of the 45 students at the Palma Perez Elementary School here were discharged from the hospital after allegedly being poisoned by the “maruya” (banana fritters) they took for snacks on Monday, May 22.
MARUYA (Wikipedia)
Dr. Jun Sotea, municipal health officer, said at least 15 students remained in the hospital for further observation.
“They were advised by doctors for confinement for more tests,” he said of the pupils who were brought to a local hospital around noontime Monday.
Based on their initial findings, Sotea said the vendor near the school mistakenly used “tawas” (potassium alum) instead of white sugar.
Upon consumption, the schoolers, aged seven to 12, experienced stomach aches, vomiting, and dizziness.
Barangay Palma Perez Chairman Edward Borromeo believes that the vendor, who also resides in their barangay, unintentionally used the tawas compound instead of white sugar due to their close similarity in granule and color.
He said the vendor has been selling maruya and other affordable food for the school children for the past 10 years.