Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Hunger prompts natives to eat deadly root crop
By Jeffrey M. Tupas
PRESIDENT ROXAS, North Cotabato -- Hungry as confronted by scarcity of food, some Lumad (indigenous peoples) communities here have been eating the deadly root crop called kayos (wild yam) notwithstanding the dangers posed by the crop.
Mayor Jaime Mahimpit confirmed that residents of Barangays Sundungan, Kisupaan, and Lama-Lama, all located along the Pulangi River, have been forced to eat kayos.
An unverified report, Mahimpit said, indicated that a child in Sitio Trescantos, Barangay Sundungan was poisoned after eating the deadly root crop that caused the death of a number of lumads in the highlands of the Arakan Valley during 1998's long dry spell.
He said they are still trying to confirm the report. No other details were available to verify the health condition of the child after eating the root crop.
"Lumads are left with no choice than to eat this crop because of the insufficient supply of food in the respective villages. We are, however, doing everything to contain the situation," Mahimpit said.
Mahimpit, however, admitted that Kayos has actually become almost a part of the meal of the Lumads especially during the dry spell.
Most of them, he said, even mastered the meticulous and tedious preparation of the food because they too are aware of the poison content of the crop.
"They are already experts but perhaps other communities failed to follow the correct way of food preparation," Mahimpit said.
But there is nothing to be happy about the expertise of the lumads in the kayos preparation because the crop is more than deadly than eating kamoteng kahoy (cassava).
High HCN content
Experts from the Central Mindanao Integrated Agricultural Research Center (Cemiarc) said kayos is not safe for consumption because of its very high hydro-cyanic acid (HCN) content.
The HCN is a solution of hydrocyanide gas in the liquid. It is a colorless, highly poisonous, volatile liquid smelling of bitter almods, a medical book says.
Exposure to large amounts of all forms of cyanide, including HCN, for a short time can harm the brain, lungs, and heart, and cause coma and death.
Exposure to large amounts of hydrogen cyanide can result in asphyxia, weakness, headache, confusion, nausea, and vomiting.
The health effects of all form of cyanide are similar when large amounts are eaten, drunk, breathed, or touched.
The first symptoms of cyanide poisoning are rapid, deep breathing and shortness of breath, followed by convulsions and fainting.
In cases of acute cyanide poisoning, death is extremely rapid. The primary organs affected by exposure to hydrogen cyanide are the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, and cardiovascular system.
Jess Lumbao, senior agriculture of Cemiarc said, if the Lumads would really go for kayos as alternative food, then they have to be very careful in the preparation.
The HCN content of kayos, Lumbao said can only be reduced but not totally eliminated by repeated wedging of the grated kayos.
No assurance
"But there really is no assurance that the kayos is safe for eating even after that process. We actually are currently scientifically studying kayos preparation that are a lot safer," Lumbao said.
Lumbao said their research brought them even to the very houses of the Lumads who eat kayos. He said they found out that after eating kayos, Lumads would always feel dizzy and experience vomiting. Some even, he said, would faint.
In 1998, most residents of the upper valley of North Cotabato like the Arakan Valley were forced to consume kayos because there was actually no food available.
Recently, the Provincial Government of North Cotabato has declared the entire province under the state of calamity as 14 of its 18 towns has been whipped by the dry spell.
Around 22,217 hectares of palay and corn farms with 7, 159 farmers are now affected by the dry spell. The Department of Agriculture estimated the total loss at P172 million.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 13, 2005 issue)
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