The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has officially left the Philippines, his last stop during his Asian tour. But his departure also left many workers sick after they had been drenched in the rain and cold for many days.
Pope Francis was in the Philippines for a 5-day visit that began on Thursday, January 15, after he spent a few days in Sri Lanka. The preparations, however, began several months. Two of the things they focused on were security and cleanliness.
It can be recalled that there was a terror threat during Pope John Paul II's visit in the country around 20 years ago. Leaving nothing to chance, the government deployed thousands of police force and other agency personnel such as those of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). They worked as a human barricade in many venues around Metro Manila, the country's capital.
Now the chairman of MMDA Francis Tolentino revealed that clean-up isn't going to be very quick since many of its workers are battling fatigue and diseases including flu.
This is understandable. During the time of the pope's visit, a storm was brewing in the country, dumping incessant rains and strong winds. The force and even the crowd were nevertheless not advised to bring umbrellas for security and for a better view for all attendees. This then forced most to wear transparent ponchos, which the pope also wore, especially during his mass in Tacloban, a city in Eastern Visayas badly hit by Typhoon Haiyan on November 2013.
So far, MMDA had already collected more than 25 truckloads of garbage in one venue, Quirino Grandstand, where an estimated 6 to 7 million pilgrims participated in the pope's last mass in the country last Sunday. Additional 186 tons were already dumped near Pier 18 where a landfill could be found.
The Philippines has more than 80% Catholics, which explains the large turnout.
