Food poisoning downs 70 people in S Philippines

A total of 70 people in north Cotabato, south Philippines, have been rushed to hospitals due to food poisoning after eating wild yam, local media reported Thursday.

The victims, ethnic lumad people, were from the hinterlands of Arakan, President Roxas and Tulunan towns, Inquirer.net quoted Virgilita Guillaran, provincial social welfare officer, as saying.

Fortunately, none of the victims died, Guillaran said.

"The figure of indigenous people who got ill from eating wild yam, was based on the consolidated report submitted to our office by the social welfare officers of these towns,"Guillaran said.

The El Nino phenomenon was so grave that the indigenous communities have been finding it hard to secure food, forcing them to eat wild yam, Guillaran said.

Source: Xinhua