Village for Yolanda victims named 'Pope Francis'

MANILA, Philippines — A new settlement named after Pope Francis for survivors of Supertyphoon Yolanda recently broke ground in Bantayan, Cebu.

The Pope Francis Gawad Kalinga (GK) Village in Ticad town will house typhoon victims from different parts of Northern Cebu.

A report from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines' website noted that only families willing to provide "sweat equity" will avail of the free housing. This entails that recipients themselves should help construct the community.

So far, the village consists of 45 houses with each unit costing P150,000, while the community will be organized through formation and livelihood programs.

The report said that Jesuit-run Xavier School and the Educational Research and Development Assistance Group are the major donors for the project.

Pope Francis, meanwhile, is rumored to be planning a visit in Cebu in 2016 for the Eucharistic Congress, a major Catholic gathering traditionally graced by the sitting Roman Pontiff.

Also read: Vatican official: 'Cebu a good choice' for Pope's visit

Francis approved Cebu City as the congress' venue from January 25 to 31, 2016. - Camille Diola