Surigao del Sur mulls total ban on ambulant vendors in public schools

By Ben Serrano, Correspondent

TANDAG CITY — The Department of Education (DepEd) in Surigao del Sur is now seriously considering a total ban of ambulant food vendors in all of the public schools in the province in the light of the unprecendent mass food poisoning.

DepEd Schools Division Superintendent Marilou Dedumo of Surigao del Sur told Gold Star Daily, Friday, that they will be holding meetings with parents and revisit DepEd’s policy on ambulant food vendors coming in and out of public school campuses.

“We will be holding meetings from today (Friday) to Monday (July 13) to discuss over-all updates and situation including possible revisit of DepEd policy (on) ambulant food vendors in public school campuses,” said Dedumo. For her part, Tandag City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Gregoria Su told Gold Star Daily that they will help the parents of the victims in filing appropriate charges against those responsible for the massive food poisoning. “We will have to discuss with PTA officials how to secure our schools from ambulant vendors,” Su said.

Both Dedumu and Su confirmed that there are now about 1,250 students from both elementary and high schools, this city and six towns in Surigao del Sur downed from food poisoning.

According to Surigao del Sur local officials and medical authorities, this number of food poisoning victims is the highest recorded in the history of the province and may as well even be in the entire Caraga region, if not the whole of Mindanao.

Surigao del Sur Provincial Health Officer Dr. Jerry Irrizari said that the manufacturer of the candy that downed at least 1,250 students is Wendy’s Delicacy whose factory is located in Maa, Davao City.

The lady owner and co-owners, Irrizari added, were identified by police after interrogating the seven ambulant vendors arrested in hot pursuit, Friday morning in Cagwait, Surigao del Sur.

Irrizari, however, refused to name the owners of the candy factory.

Surigao del Sur Provincial Police Office identified those arrested as Richard Laoag Rivera, Jr. 28, resident of Mac-Arthur Hi-way, Calinan, Davao City, Martin Sawit Bucaycay, 19, , Junnil Teriote Martinez, 30, John Dequilla Oben, 36, and Joel Alferez Paja, all are residents of Calinan, Davao City.

All seven suspects are temporarily detained at the Surigao del Sur Provincial Office detention cell for further investigation.

Five other companions of the suspects are still at large and are subjects to a manhunt operation by the provincial police.

Meanwhile, Irrizari clarified that there was no casualty or no single death (as earlier reported by other newspapers) in the mass food poisoning.

Irrizari explained that Marcelinita Pareja, the administrative officer of the Surigao del Sur Health Office was overwhelmed by the increasing number of victims coming in for treatment in various government and private hospitals here.

“I was just shocked maybe of the number of victims of food poisoning. The reason why when someone from a media outfit in Manila called and interviewed me at past 3 pm, July 10 afternoon, mabilis kasi magtanong kaya I said one maybe casualty but when I rechecked it later, no died so far. Thank God,” Pareja told the Gold Star Daily.

The number of victims to food poisoning due to expired and contaminated durian and mangosteen flavored candies in Surigao del Sur has now risen to at least 1,250 high school and elementary students, provincial officials said, Friday.

The Department of Health-Caraga regional office (DOH 13) has already issued a public warning about buying durian and mangosteen flavored candies sold from an L-300 Mitsubishi van with plate number MEM366.

Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny T. Pimentel told Gold Star Daily that 528 victims of food poisoning were admitted while the less serious cases of food poisoning were treated as out-patients at Adela Serra Ty Medical Center (ASTMMC), here.

Janice Alcordo, Emergency Room Chairman at ASTMMC said that as of 5:30 pm, Friday, a total of 169 were now confined for treatment while 359 victims were treated as out-patients released under Out-Patient Department (OPD).

“The bacteria that caused the (food poisoning is) “Staphylococcus” due (to) expiration of the durian candy that caused its contamination” says Dr. Ponciano Limcangco, ASTMMC Hospital Director. Limcangco is also the hospital’s resident pathologist.

Surigao del Sur Information officer Marjorie Pagaran told Gold Star Daily that some 300 victims of the same food poisoning were also treated in various rural health units (RHUs) in the municipalities of Bayabas and Tago. She claimed that they also received reports of food poisoning in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur but she could not give the specific count of the victims.

Cantilan town is about 50 kilometers away from Tandag City.