At least 12 people died after drinking coconut wine at a Christmas party in the Philippines on Monday 23rd December 2019.
More than 300 people were also treated in hospital, which happened in the provinces of Laguna and Quezon, south of Manila. All had consumed lambanog, a traditional beverage that is commonly consumed during special occasions and holidays.
All of the deaths were confirmed by Philippine General Hospital to have been due to methanol poisoning, which was most likely brought on by the rushed or improper production of the lambanog.
Following the fatalities, Rizal town in Laguna was declared to be in a state of emergency, enabling the local government to use its emergency funding to assist the victims.
Danilo Suarez, the governor of Quezon, warned lambanog drinkers to purchase coconut wine only from legitimate makers, distributors and retailers which have passed the food safety test with the Food and Drug Administration.
According to the authorities in Laguna, the victims drank lambanog that they bought from a store in Barangay Pook in Rizal town.
Fred Rey, the proprietor of the lambanog distillery, turned himself in to the police and pledged to assist cover the victims’ bills. His store that sold the lambanog was shut down by order of the Quezon Police Department.
Additionally, Ramil Hernandez, the governor of Laguna, imposed a temporary provincial-wide ban on the sale of lambanog.
In the Philippines, lambanog is frequently produced and sold illegally and is often manufactured with harmful ingredients.
The FDA has already issued warnings regarding the harmful and illegal use of methanol as an additive in homebrews.
According to media reports, 21 people passed away last year after drinking lambanog.
