Pope Francis leaves Nunciature early Saturday for Tacloban

Pope Francis waves to Filipinos after mass at Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Manila, Philippines on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015. AP

MANILA, Philippines—Pope Francis left the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila on Saturday morning for Villamor Airbase in Pasay City where he would board a plane going to Tacloban City.

The Pope left the Nunciature on Taft Avenue at around 7 a.m.

The crowd erupted into wild cheers as the Pope passed by the streets of Manila smiling and waving to the people who lined up the streets.

The Pontiff onboard his popemobile is expected to leave the Villamor Airbase at around 8 a.m. to visit typhoon-ravaged Tacloban.

Despite the bad weather affecting the Visayas due to tropical stom “Amang,” the Pontiff pushed through with his one-day visit to Tacloban and Palo towns in Leyte, which was flattened by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) in 2013.

The Pope will hold a mass at the Tacloban airport upon his arrival and will proceed to Palo town to bless the Pope Francis Center. He will also visit a mass grave in Palo Catherdal for those who died during the onslaught of “Yolanda.”

The Pope will also meet typhoon survivors and will have a lunch to some of them before he returns to Manila on Saturday afternoon.

His Holiness will hold a mass at Luneta on Sunday, which is expected to draw millions of Filipinos and Catholic devotees.

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