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 the hospital after exhibiting symptoms of vomiting and stomach ache.
The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (PHO) confirmed the victims were taken to Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan town, Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center in Barotac Nuevo town, Ramon D. Duremdes District Hospital in Dumangas town, 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 ROTC cadets came from all over Western Visayas region and were attending the ROTC Summer Camp at Camp Hernandez in Dingle town when the incident occurred.
Iloilo PHO Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU) is securing samples of the food and water consumed by the ROTC cadets.
ROTC cadets who were taken to the hospital allegedly ate pork adobo for dinner and experienced the symptoms nearly 30 minutes later.
Quiñon said food and water must undergo confirmatory tests to determine what caused the food-borne illness.