'Yolanda' survivors tie white ribbons around Tacloban for Pope

MANILA, Philippines - Survivors of supertyphoon Yolanda on Thursday tied thousands of white ribbons along the streets of Tacloban City to welcome Pope Francis.

 

Yolanda survivors, members of the grassroots and religious sectors under the People's Committee to Welcome the Pope in Eastern Visayas (People's Welcome-EV), also put up creative posters bearing quotes from the Pontiff's social teachings on several homes and establishments in the city. 

 

"We will paint the town white with ribbons to remind the public that the real purpose of Pope Francis’ visit, lest it be forgotten, is the Holy Father’s solidarity with our plight as survivors of Yolanda and other subsequent typhoon disasters," Dr. Efleda Bautista, convener of People’s Welcome -EV said.

 

"The ribbon’s white color represents purity—that of the Pope and the truth that we intend to raise and that the Holy Father himself seeks in his journey to Typhoon Yolanda ground zero. It also represents simplicity, as in Pope Francis’ choice to wear simple white robes instead of the lavish ones, as symbolic of his giving voice to the cry of the poor," Bautista added. 

 

He said that some members of the the People’s Welcome-EV dramatized the plight of their fellow disaster survivors by wearing mud on their bodies while tying white ribbons and distributing pamphlets around the streets of Tacloban.

 

They will be joined later in the evening by members of the Sisters Association in Mindanao and the indigenous Lumad leaders from the Kalumaran group to light white candles during a prayer at the San Jose Junction.

 

The Mindanao sisters and their indigenous laity journeyed to Tacloban City to learn and practice the Pope’s social teachings among Yolanda survivors as well as to raise concerns of the Mindanao people to the Pope.

 

“We hope the simple gesture of welcoming Pope Francis with a humble ribbon, in contrast to the layers of expensive and expansive print banners by businesses and politicians, would help fellow Filipinos understand the spirit of the Pope's visit," Bautista said.

 

On January 16, the group is also  set to hold a "Gathering of the Poor" at the Balyuan Amphitheatre to welcome the Pope.