A lone Frances, 5 Francises, other signs of Pope fever sweep E. Visayas

CEBU CITY, Philippines—In what could be the clearest evidence of Pope fever sweeping Eastern Visayas, at least six babies born in the region’s biggest hospital have been named Francis.

One of them is actually a girl but her name is spelled “Frances,” said a hospital staff of Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC).

“Perhaps, the parents want to name their babies after the Pope not only to honor him but to remember that a Pope visited Tacloban,” said the staffer, who asked not to be identified because she was not authorized to talk to the media.

The six babies were born from Monday to Wednesday. On an average, close to 20 babies are born daily in the biggest government-run hospital in the region.

Papal fever alive

The papal fever is very much alive in Tacloban City, which was devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) on Nov. 8, 2013, killing more than 2,200 people. Some 600 others remain missing.

Merchandise ranging from T-shirts to pins are being hawked on the streets and in department stores.

Ecole Gaviola, a government worker from Maripipi town in Biliran province, said he bought souvenir items and transparent bags so he would be allowed to enter the Mass site at the apron of Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban.

Hector Go, owner of a stall selling the memorabilia, said his goods were selling like hot cakes.

Fully booked

“We are selling 600 shirts per day at P250 a piece,” Go told the Inquirer.

A hotel in the city even gave its security guards changes of clothes from their usual white and blue uniform to the yellow and blue attire resembling those of Swiss guards.

“This is our way to remind our guests that the Pope is coming to us,” said Eduard Chua, owner of LA Rica Hotel.

He said his 52-room hotel had been fully booked because of the papal visit.

Lunch with survivors

Residents and some business owners also placed welcome streamers along the 12-km-long motorcade that would take Francis from Tacloban airport to Palo town, where he is to eat lunch with 30 survivors of Yolanda and the October 2013 earthquake in Bohol province.

Streamers read: “Godspeed Pope Francis,” “Welcome to Tacloban City” and “We love you.”

Huge flags of the Philippines and the Vatican were also placed side by side along roads in Palo and Tacloban.

Better view

Some residents put up bleachers in the compounds of their houses for a better view of the Pope during the motorcade.

“It’s basically all systems go for the coming of the Holy Father to Leyte,”said Fr. Chris Arthur Militante, information and social communications officer of the Archdiocese of Palo.

“So far, there are no changes in his itinerary in Leyte. What is being announced shall proceed,” he added.

Francis is scheduled to arrive at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the airport, where he will preside over a Mass.

Two archbishops

He will then be brought on a motorcade to the Archbishop’s Residence in Palo for a lunch with the earthquake and typhoon survivors.

Militante said the Pope would be seated at the center of a U-shaped table in the dining room of the Archbishop’s Residence.

Fifteen survivors will take the reserved seats on the Pope’s right side and the other 15 on his left.

Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle of Manila and Palo Archbishop John Du will join the lunch.

Militante said the lunch would start at 12:50 p.m. and last for about an hour.

Siesta for Pope

The Pope will then have a 30-minute “siesta” in the room of Archbishop Du before he proceeds to bless the Pope Francis Center located within the eight-hectare Archbishop’s Residence at 3 p.m.

From there, he will proceed to Palo Cathedral, 500 meters away, to meet with priests and men and women representatives of different religious communities before he returns to Manila.