OVERCROWDED classrooms of Sofronio Carmona National High School in Barangay Igmayaan, Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental allegedly caused a total of 17 students to suffer hyperventilation syndrome.
Rodel Pamini, officer-in-charge of Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), on Thursday, said students from Grade 7 and 8 experienced difficulties in breathing, chest pain, and a tingling sensation on their muscles.
Pamini said they received a call for assistance around 9 a.m.
All affected students were brought to the municipal health center and were later discharged.
Pamini said a male student first suffered difficulty of breathing last Wednesday and also experienced the same yesterday, together with 16 others.
Of the 17 students, three of them were female.
Pamini said the students had hyperventilation syndrome based on the medical results. It was allegedly due to overcrowded classrooms based on the statement of one of the teachers.
The ideal number of students in a classroom should only reach 40 but some of the classrooms at the school has 65 to 70 students, Pamini said, as he quoted one of the teachers.
Meanwhile, Mayor Lawrence Marxlen Dela Cruz ordered the suspension of classes of the said school on the same day. Classes will resume today, Friday.
Dr. Portia Mallorca, schools division superintendent of Department of Education (DepEd)-Negros Occidental, said they will have to verify the incident first. (GYM/SunStar Bacolod)