MMDA to send 190 men to Tacloban during Pope's visit

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday said it will deploy a 190-man team to assist in traffic management during the visit of Pope Francis to Palo and Tacloban City on January 17.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said the deployed personnel will support members of the agency’s Task Force Phantom who will also be sent to Tacloban City.

MMDA assistant general manager for operations Emerson Carlos said the deployed team will primarily perform escort and traffic management. They will also serve as emergency paramedics.

The MMDA will also send ambulances to Palo and Tacloban City to help provide emergency medical care during the Pope’s one day visit.

Tolentino said the MMDA team will leave Manila for Leyte on January 12.

“Aalis sila ng Monday. Naka-preposition na sila in time for the Pope’s visit,” he said.

Based on his official itinerary released by the Vatican, the Pope on January 17 will depart from Villamore Airbase to Tacloban City at 8:15 a.m.

At 10 a.m., the Pope will attend a concelebrated Mass near the Tacloban City airport. At 12:45 p.m., the Pontiff will have lunch with several Yolanda survivors at the Archbishop's Residence in Palo, Leyte

At 3 p.m., the Pope will attend the blessing of the Pope Francis Center for the Poor in Palo, Leyte and at 3:30 pm will attend a meeting with priests, consecrated persons, seminarians, and families of Yolanda survivors at the Palo Cathedral

The Pope will leave for Manila at 5 p.m. and is expected to arrive back at the Villamor Airbase by 6:15 p.m.

Earlier, the MMDA formed Task Force Phantom to provide traffic management and security for the Pope’s visit.

Task Force Phantom is composed of 15 traffic constables from the MMDA and 15 members of the Philippine National Police’s Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG). They are tasked to ensure smooth vehicular flow on the Pope’s route during his visit to the Philippines.