Durian candies down 44 pupils in Kidapawan

KIDAPAWAN CITY - Forty-four elementary pupils of Kidapawan City Pilot Elementary School (KCPES) in Cotabato were rushed to the city hospital due to complaints of stomachache and nausea after consuming durian candies they bought from an ambulant vendor on Thursday morning.

 

Most of the children are in grade 5 and grade 6 levels according to a school adviser who asked not to be identified.

 

Dr. Gerry Reyes, Kidapawan City Hospital resident physician, confirmed that several children from KCPES were brought to their hospital due to abdominal pain and vomiting.

 

He said that during the interview with the schoolchildren, they blamed the durian candies they consumed as the reason for their ailment.

 

“Though the presence of food poisoning is very mild among the children, still we considered it as food poisoning since the symptoms such as abdominal pain and nausea are there,” Reyes said.

 

Reyes said the children were allowed to go home after being given medical attention in the city hospital.

 

“We had one patient (who) vomits with blood tints but nothing to worry since we were able to give him medicine,” Reyes said.

 

Rhea (not her real name), a grade 6 pupil, said she bought two packs of durian candies containing 20 pieces from a vendor inside their school campus.

 

“Barato man gud mao nadani ko pagpalit (It’s cheap that is why I was convinced to buy)," Rhea told this writer in an interview.

 

But she disclosed that upon consuming two candies, she stopped eating them because the candy had a bitter taste and it was very hard.

 

“Pait siya murag naay chemical ug gahi pa dyud kaayo. Mao tong ako na lang gihatag sa akong mga classmates ang uban, sila pud nagsakit ilang tiyan (It has a bitter taste and very hard that is why some of the candies I gave it to my classmates and they too experienced stomachache)," Rhea added.

 

Rhea said despite the incident, she was still thankful since she and her classmates are now safe.

 

“Dili na dyud ko mupalit anang ginalako. Natagam na dyud ko (I will never buy from transient vendors. I learned my lesson),” Rhea said.

 

The school administration said it will investigate the incident and will check with guards who have allowed transient vendors to do their business inside the school premises.

 

The durian candies were traced to a manufacturer in Davao City.

A lady who answered the phone given the manufacturer's contact number confirmed they produce durian candies, but these are sold at 100 pieces per pack and not 10 pieces per pack as sold to the pupils in Kidapawan. —KG, GMA News