Manarin died at the C.P. Reyes Hospital in Tanauan City.

Hospital records showed that Manarin died of bacteria infection caused by food poisoning and water contamination.

According to reports, the victims are all employees of JEDECO Manufacturing Corp. in barangay Sabang and PKI Inc. in barangay Maraouy, both in Batangas City.

Some victims told the Manila Bulletin that they felt dizziness, severe stomach pain and suffered vomiting and loose bowel movement after taking in food and drinking water at the canteen of their offices.

The victims had been brought to the hospitals since last Friday, and the others were confined and placed under observation last Saturday and Sunday.

Lipa City health department personnel were still verifying the total number of victims who were hospitalized, but in the initial listing, 117 patients were recorded.

However, in an inquiry conducted by this writer, it was found out that more than 150 patients were confined in various hospitals.

The tally is as follows:

Lipa City, Lipa Medix Hospital, 58; N. L. Villa Hospital, 45; Mary Mediatrix Medical Center. 12; Lipa District Hospital, 2; Dr. Mercado General Hospital in Tanauan City, 30. C.P. Reyes Hospital, 10; and in Batangas City St. Patrick’s Hospital, 3.

It was learned that the victims drank mango shake and water and ate “sago gulaman” in the canteens of the two companies, both owned by a certain Jelly Sy.

Dr. Leonardo Resero, Lipa City Health Officer, said the city government has already served a closure order to the canteens as it continues to investigate the matter.

As of yesterday afternoon, probers could not confirm the exact cause of the poisoning.

They were still investigating the case and were trying to trace the source of the water supplied to the two canteens.