ANTIQUE – Nineteen students from Pis-anan National High School in Barangay Pis-anan, Sibalom town were reported to have fallen ill on Monday, July 21, during the resumption of face-to-face classes — marking the second such incident at the school in less than a month.
According to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), seven of the affected students were brought to the Ramon Maza Memorial District Hospital for further medical evaluation. The remaining students were monitored on campus by school personnel and local responders.
Barangay Pis-anan captain Roberto Serino Jr. said one student fainted during a mass and was later found to have skipped breakfast. The arrival of an ambulance reportedly triggered panic among several other students, some of whom experienced difficulty breathing or dizziness. In total, 19 students reported symptoms such as fainting, anxiety, and nausea.
Mayor Gian Carlo Occeña, who had previously issued an executive order allowing the reopening of Pis-anan National High School — excluding Senior High School — clarified that the recent incident is not believed to be connected to the previous mass fainting episode on July 2.
The earlier incident saw over 268 students hospitalized after experiencing dizziness and nausea, allegedly triggered by exposure to a foul odor on campus. The smell was described by students and staff as similar to that of overripe guava. Authorities have yet to determine the source of the odor, with laboratory test results from samples sent to Ateneo de Manila University still pending.
While most of the students affected in Monday’s incident have since recovered, the recurrence of health-related episodes has heightened concerns among parents and the community. The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Sibalom is closely monitoring the situation and has yet to report any additional cases as of press time.
Local authorities, along with school officials and health experts, continue to investigate the underlying causes of these incidents to ensure the safety and well-being of the students as in-person classes resume./PN
