By Henry Empeño | August 7, 2024

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Was it the fried chicken, beef caldereta, or chopsuey? Or was it the water?  

Subic authorities want no suspected cause left unturned to determine why and how 160 participants in a seminar at a hotel here fell ill due to suspected food poisoning on Tuesday, August 6.

A statement from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Wednesday said the Subic agency’s Public Health and Safety Department will be issuing a show-cause order to Traveler’s Hotel to start formal investigation of the incident.

Dr. Solomon Jacalne, SBMA-PHSD head told HeadlineZambales that a technical conference will be held with the hotel management in connection with the probe.

The SBMA had earlier ordered the cleaning and sanitation of the hotel’s kitchen, and mobilized an Incident Monitoring Team to make a report.

Meanwhile, food samples taken from the hotel have already been sent to the Department of Health office in San Fernando, Pampanga for testing. Results are expected to be released within four or five days.

Likewise, Subicwater, which operates the water supply system in the Freeport, has extracted water filters for testing. Results will be available in two or three days, it was learned.

The patients who fell ill due to suspected food poisoning were mostly Sangguniang Kabataan officials from San Carlos City in Pangasinan, who were here for a two-day Gender and Development (GAD) seminar-training at the Travelers Hotel.

The SBMA said the seminar was attended by 335 participants, including San Carlos Mayor Julier Resuello, Vice Mayor Joseres Resuello, and members of the city council.

The GAD seminar program for the second day has been canceled because of the incident, the SBMA added.

According to Subic sources, most of the patients were rushed to various hospitals in the Freeport and in the neighboring Olongapo City after complaining of stomach pain at around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The hotel reportedly served the seminar participants fried chicken, beef caldereta, and chopsuey for lunch, but it was not immediately known what specific food might have poisoned the guests.

The victims were initially attended to by the hotel nurse, but had to be sent to the doctor when their stomach pain persisted.

Due to the number of guests who fell ill, ambulances crowded the hotel grounds on Tuesday to transport patients to five hospitals: Baypointe in the Freeport, and James L Gordon Memorial, St. Jude, ZMMG, and Ulticare in Olongapo City.

The SBMA said, however, that most of the victims were discharged after being prescribed medicines.

By 8:35 p.m., only three patients remained confined at Baypointe Hospital for further monitoring and observation, the SBMA added.

The SBMA statement also quoted Traveler Hotel’s sales and marketing director Jorgen Michael Te as saying that the hotel is closely coordinating with the authorities and will shoulder the medical expenses of the victims. 

TOP PHOTO: Ambulances crowd the entrance to the Traveler’s Hotel in Subic on Tuesday, as 160 guests fell ill due to suspected food poisoning (Photo by Jun Dumaguing)