Pope Francis in PH - Conclusion

Photo: BBC

January 18, 2015

Over six million Filipinos have been gathered at the beautiful Rizal Park last Sunday just to attend the biggest open-air mass held by Pope Francis. That is a million more than how many Filipinos gathered for Blessed John Pope II's visit in the Philippines back in 1995. The biggest mass in Filipino history is Pope Francis' last full day in the Philippines and despite the heavy rain pouring on the nation's capital due to Tropical Storm Mekhala/Amang, those six million devotees became very defiant enough to see the Pope for one final time. It was even seen on national television as well for those who couldn't make it to the venue.

And here the curtain falls on Pope Francis' Philippine tour but that does not mean that our experiences during the papal visit will end. The moments we learned during his arrival will always be remembered for generations to come.

Further reading: 

1) http://m.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30869019

2) http://news.yahoo.com/filipinos-flock-hear-pope-offer-hope-consolation-poor-060734345.html

Pope Francis in PH - Part Three

Photo: Interaksyon/TV5

January 17, 2015

It is the third day of Pope Francis' PH tour and despite strong winds and pouring rain because of the imminent Typhoon Mekhala/Amang, not to mentioned a plane carrying officials made an emergency landing at Tacloban airport, he managed to get through the city that was heavily devastated by Superstorm Haiyan/Yolanda in 2013. The worshippers are so defiant, they've braved the harsh weather just to say hi to the Pope. Because his stay at the Visayas region was cut short due to Typhoon Mekhala/Amang, the Pope apologized the public, especially those in Leyte, because he..."had something prepared especially for them".

There was a report about one woman killed after the mass, when one of the scaffolding near the stage collapsed.

With his Visayas leg cut short due to the tropical storm, the Pope is heading back to the capital to stage a mass held at the Rizal Park where ten thousands of crowds will be gathered.

Further reading:

1) http://www.interaksyon.com/lifestyle/dearpopefrancis-day-3-netizens-ask-the-holy-father-not-to-leave

2) http://www.dw.de/pope-francis-meets-haiyan-survivors-in-the-philippines/a-18197370

3) http://news.yahoo.com/pope-heading-philippines-where-adoring-crowds-await-064259265.html

4) http://m.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30859609

Pope Francis in PH - Part Two

Photo: Interaksyon/TV5

January 16, 2015

On the second day of Pope Francis' Philippine tour, the Filipino crowd's been gathered on the streets around the Malacanang Palace, the Manila Cathedral, the Mall of Asia Arena, to the Apostolic Nunciature, just to say hello to the Pope.

While he was there, the Pope made a surprise visit with the street children at the Blessed Charles de Foucauld shelter in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. He stayed there for a few minutes while watching the street children smiled because of his presence. They never knew he was that kind of friendly among the street children and he believes that "they are not garbage" when he look upon the underprivileged youth.

Although the Pope didn't mentioned about last week's terrorist attacks in Paris, France, mostly the Charlie Hebdo attack, he warned the public that even "free speech" has its limits to follow and that killing "in the name of God" is not just wrong but provoking other people's beliefs is also wrong.

"One cannot make war (or) kill in the name of one's own religion" he said. "...To kill in the name of God is an aberration."

In the midst of the imminent wrath of Typhoon Amang/Mekhala, Pope Francis also warned the public that humans are responsible for climate change. He doesn't know if human activities caused this phenomenon but to him, "it was man that slapped nature in the face." They claimed that the Pope used science to inform his opinions about climate change.

Further reading:

1) http://www.interaksyon.com/lifestyle/dearpopefrancis-day-2-filipinos-post-close-encounters-with-the-pontiff

2) http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/pope-francis-visit-manila-shelter-amazes-filipino-street-kids-n287451

3) http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/14/asia/philippines-pope-francis-visit/

4) http://m.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/01/pope-francis-climate-change

Pope Francis in PH - Part One

Image: AFP

January 15, 2015

After his trip to Sri Lanka, which is part of his Asian trip, Pope Francis arrived in the Philippines, a nation which is home to Asia's largest Catholic population. Millions of Filipinos have been gathered at the Villamor Airbase to meet up with the papal during his five day stay in the Philippines, although he was greeted with a gale blew away his papal skullcap but that didn't bothered his rapturous welcome to the Filipino public.

The Pope said that his encounter with the Filipino public was "very impressive, important and daunting".

The papal visit includes meetings, masses, and speeches in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, as well as his arrival in Tacloban, which was heavily hit by Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan two years ago.

When in Manila, Pope Francis prefers to have a lowered security stance just so he can get close to his Filipino followers, but that meant risking his life. The Popemobile he rode during his Manila leg is based on an Isuzu pickup popularized by Filipinos and it's an open-sided vehicle with no bulletproof means on it. On regular trips, he was chauffeured by a VW minivan while escorted by a police motorcade.

There has been a rumor about authorities caged street children to clean up before the papal visit but the Department of Social Welfare denied the report about street children caged in detention centers for the pope's visit as the government doesn't cage children and they play a role in the papal visit.

During the papal visit, PAGASA reports that Tropical Storm Amang/Mekkhala has gained strength and is expected to make landfall in the capital this Sunday, when the Pope plans an open-air mass for the Filipino public. The Filipinos are very defiant that they will brave the harsh conditions just to see the Pope during his stay.

If that wasn't enough, signal interference during the papal visit turned harsh, meaning social media during Pope Francis' stay in the Philippines is not like a walk in the park. That's because Globe Telecom and Smart Communications disrupted their services in accordance of the National Telecommunications Commission and they're working on this situation during the papal visit.

With the first day done, the Pope's looking forward during his four remaining days on his PH visit.

Further reading:
1) http://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-DISPATCHB-4261
2) http://www.interaksyon.com/article/103095/pope-on-pinoys--1st-encounter-was-very-impressive-important-and-daunting
3) http://abcnews.go.com/International/pope-francis-loses-hat-philippines-arrival/story?id=28240319