Mayor Salvador Escalante confirmed that a Grade 2 pupil died at the Cadiz East Elementary School 2 after reportedly choking on food on Friday, April 14.
A Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Cadiz incident report said at about 9:30 a.m. the boy was taking his snacks during recess time when he suddenly embraced his teacher and asked for help.
The teacher said the boy already had difficulty in breathing and was cyanotic or had bluish discoloration of the lips.
She tried to do the Heimlich maneuver but was unsuccessful and a DepEd doctor found the boy pulseless, the DepEd report said.
The teacher sought help to bring the child to a nearby emergency clinic and he was found to no longer have a heartbeat. An attempt to resuscitate the boy was made but failed and he was declared dead at 10:02 a.m., the DepEd report said.
Classmates of the boy who witnessed the incident were sent home and were provided with blended learning instructions.
The school management, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, will conduct a debriefing and psycho-social first aid to the affected learners and teachers, the report said.
A lecture on proper eating habits and food choices will also be conducted at the school, it added.
Escalante said the city government has provided assistance to the family of the Grade 2 pupil.*