Maniolas

On board a customized pickup truck, Pope Francis began heading to the Apostolic Nunciature or his official residence in the Philippines a few minutes since arriving in the country. As seen in a live feed of GMA News, Pope Francis’ convoy left the Villamor Air Base at past 6 p.m. after a short welcome ceremony marked by dance performances by about 1,000 youths from the Diocese of Parañaque. Also seen welcoming the Pope were President Benigno Aquino III, Vice President Jejomar binay, and other Cabinet members and religious leaders from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). Straight from Sri Lanka, Pope Francis, together with his delegation and a few members of the Philippine media, arrived at the Villamor Air Base from Sri Lanka at exactly 5:32 p.m.  The white pickup truck, which is one of the three Popemobiles to be used by Pope Francis during his five-day stay in the country, is an open-type vehicle, enabling the public to see him face-to-face during his motorcade. Thousands of people lined up outside the Villamor Air Base and along the route of the motorcade as early as Thursday morning to get a glimpse of the Pope. At the hotel where the media center for the papal visit is located, even the chef kept tabs on the pope’s arrival. The public was not disappointed as the charismatic pontiff was seen repeatedly waving to the crowd with a warm smile on his face.  Event organizers and police earlier estimated that the motorcade Read More …

The head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center (AFPMC) has been reinstatement, months after being relieved from his post over an alleged anomalous procurement of medical supplies worth P80 million. In the a statement released Wednesday morning, the AFP said Brig. Gen. Normando T. Sta. Ana Jr. was reinstated as the AFPMC commander effective last Monday. Military chief Gen. General Gregorio Catapang Jr. ordered his Sta. Ana’s relief last October 14 to give way to a “thorough and impartial” investigation on the alleged anomaly. Based on news reports, a certain Renato Villafuerte filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman as regards the procurement of P80 million worth medicine and other medical supplies for the AFP Medical Center without public bidding. Catapang then ordered a separate probe.  However, after an investigation was made, the military found Villafuerte “to be a fictitious person.” It added that complaints against Sta. Ana was “dismissed for lack of evidence to support the allegations, and nobody testified to substantiate the complaints.” — Amanda Fernandez/RSJ, GMA News

President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday night personally inspected the dry run of the convoy that would secure Pope Francis upon his arrival in the Philippines on Jan. 15. Aquino joined officials including interior secretary Manuel Roxas II at the route from Villamor Air Base to the Apostolic Nunciature, radio dzBB’s Manny Vargas reported. He also joined the inspection of the Light Rail Transit station at Quirino Avenue, which is near the papal nunciature where the pope will stay during his visit.   During the inspection, portions of roads at the route of the papal convoy near the nunciature were closed. Tuesday night’s dry run is the last before the pope’s arrival on Thursday afternoon. The pope will stay in the Philippines until Jan. 19. During his stay, the pope will have events in Metro Manila and Leyte.   Meanwhile, streets near the Manila Cathedral were also closed since 8 p.m. Tuesday, dzBB’s James Agustin reported. Streets closed included A. Soriano Avenue corner Cabildo and General Luna near Plaza Roma.  — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News

Pope Francis waves to people waiting to welcome him on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday. AP MANILA, Philippines—Known for  his humility, Pope Francis has been dubbed “The People’s Pope” by the media and a “rock star” by many of his worshippers. But what has made the 78-year-old Pope so popular in barely two years in the papacy that even a simple act or random photos of him mingling with people immediately go viral on social media? INQUIRER.net  has culled some of these stories to give Filipinos a glimpse of the Pope who is set to arrive in the country on Thursday for a five-day  trip. First ‘papal selfie’ Five months after he assumed the papacy in March 2013, international media reported what  they  described  as  the  first “papal selfie” as a photo of the Pope with young  people inside the Vatican went viral on social media in August 2013.  In this Aug. 28, 2013 file photo provided Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013 by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis has his picture taken inside St. Peter’s Basilica with youths from the Italian Diocese of Piacenza and Bobbio who came to Rome for a pilgrimage, at the Vatican. The pontiff had a private audience with 500 youths from the diocese. AP Embracing a disfigured man The social media was abuzz again in early November 2013 with another photo  of the Pope, this time showing him embracing a severely  disfigured  man in Vatican City. Pope Francis embraces an ailing man in Vatican City. SCREEN GRAB FROM Read More …

Editor’s note: As the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines draws near, INQUIRER.net is republishing articles of the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the previous papal visit—that by Pope John Paul II, in 1995. This is part of the history of the Philippines as told by the Inquirer. This is INQStory. January 12, 1995 A joyous “Mabuhay” will ring out from millions of Filipinos when Pope John Paul II arrives afternoon, January 12, 1995 for his second pilgrimage to this bastion of Roman Catholicism in Asia. From the time he arrives at 3 p.m. at the old Manila International Airport, multitudes will shower the 74-year-old Pontiff with jubilant shouts, flowers, songs and dances in the hope that his five-day stay here would help improve his fragile health. The Pope left Rome aboard an Alitalia flight at 1 a.m. today (Manila time). Officials have laid out one of the most elaborate security preparations ever accorded a foreign dignitary amid reports that terrorists have slipped through the country to threaten the Pope’s security. “We are very ready for him, the whole Filipino nation is waiting and praying for his safe arrival,” said Tita de Villa, executive secretary of Papal Visit ’95 central committee. In Malacanang, President Ramos said the Pope’s visit “is an event of great joy and for which we are profoundly grateful.” He added: “As Filipinos and Christians, my family and I are deeply moved by his choice of the Philippines as the venue for the World Youth Day and for this Read More …