Milk tea sales in Pangasinan dip after fatal incident in Manila

Sales of milk tea have taken a dip in Pangasinan, following last week's deaths at a milk tea shop in Manila.

 

Customers in the province started getting wary of milk tea as early as Saturday, GMA Dagupan's Jasmin Gabriel reported on "24 Oras North Central Luzon."

 

Many shop owners had to assure their customers their products are hygienic and safe, the report said.

 

Last week, two persons died while a third was in critical condition after they drank milk tea from an outlet in Manila.

 

The Department of Health is investigating the incident, news of which broke out Friday last week.

 

One Pangasinan-based milk tea vendor interviewed by GMA News said they would rack up P2,000 in sales a day. But since last weekend, they were lucky to sell P400 a day.

 

Another milk tea vendor has gone to lengths to explain how the milk tea is made.

 

"Kaunti ang mga pumupunta na mga taong bibili ng milk tea," said Dagupan-based milk tea vendor Alexis Mejia.

 

Another vendor, Jay-R Calimlim, said some customers would be curious on how milk tea is made.

 

However, some students in the province said they are not aware of what happened in Manila last week.

 

For their part, provincial health authorities urged the public to be careful of the items they buy.

 

"Dapat maging responsible ang mga may-ari o nag-o-operate ng ganitong klaseng establishment o negosyo sila ang masisira. Ang mga customers, maging mapanuri rin sila," said Dra. Gladiola Manaois, rural health unit officer of Binmaley, Pangasinan. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News