PALO, Leyte, Philippines–Retired nurse Alta Alfiche sang “What a beautiful morning” despite being drenched by the heavy rain while waiting outside the gates of the Pope Francis Center for the Poor here.
Alfiche, 78, who flew from California to Tacloban to see Pope Francis, had been lining up for more than two hours amid downpour brought by typhoon Amang.
A pilgrim registered in zone A, Palo town, Alfiche said she had been outside the gates since 5:30 a.m. and was wet despite the raincoats.
She endured the conditions with hundreds of others who were waiting for the gates to open since security was tight.
Presidential Security Group personnel were painstakingly slow in verifying if the names in the IDs matched their lists.
In the meantime, the crowd outside that included elderly and even infants waited in the rain.
But no one left.
To ward off the cold, Alfiche began to sing:
“Oh what a beautiful mornin’
Oh what a beautiful day
I’ve got a beautiful feeling
Everything’s going my way
Oh what a beautiful day.”
People around her, who were also wet, were amused.
She told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that she didn’t regret coming to Palo despite the rain because she wanted to see the Pope. “It is why we are here,” she said.
Liezel Sorilla was carrying her 14-month-old daughter, Maria Katrina Leizel, in the rain.
“She is used to the rain,” said Sorilla, of Barangay (village) Arado in Palo whose family survived Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) explaining why her daughter didn’t even cry despite being wet.
The girl, in her blue transparent raincoat, just clung on to her mother amid the rain.
Sorilla explained that she had to bring her baby because she had to breastfeed her. She was with her husband and two other daughters aged 10 and 8.
She said the family wanted to see the Pope and be blessed especially after surviving Yolanda.
Like Alfiche, they were able to get inside past 7:30 a.m.
Levi Esmero was telling his six-year-old daughter, Tiara Francesca, not to look down so she could breathe well while trying to protect her from the throng of people who were all trying to get in the small gate that only two persons could pass through.
The girl complained she could not breathe.
“Look up. Don’t look down,” he told her.
Esmero said he, his wife and daughter came all the way from Palompon town in Leyte. They arrived in Palo on Thursday, two days before the papal visit.
His wife went to attend the Mass in the airport while he and his daughter were at the Pope Francis Center for the Poor where he said the condition was better.
Yet, they had to line up for more than two hours in the rain. They were able to get in by 7:43 a.m.
But he said the sacrifices were all worth it.
“Seeing the Pope is a rare opportunity,” he said.
As early as 5 a.m., children started their procession to the wooden bleachers in front of the Palo municipal hall where they would stay to wait for the pope.
The children were given raincoats.
Police in yellow transparent raincoats started formation along the motorcade route at 6 p.m. on Friday.