No sleep, bath for MMDA men in papal visit

MANILA, Philippines - Personnel of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were given blue shirts bearing the face of Pope Francis while on duty as human barricades along Taft Avenue. 

Pope Francis, riding an open Popemobile styled like a jeepney, is expected to pass where thousands of MMDA men under the Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group stand in line sandwiched between layers of cops along the road. 

They have had no sleep since Wednesday night and will not get any soon. 

"Wala na talagang tulugan ito, limang araw," Edgardo Mendoza said, referring to the five-day stay of the pope in the country. 

A female worker of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority trying to get a bit of sleep.  Photo by AJ Bolando

They are given some allowance for food, and can have a bite only when their shift - lasting six to eight hours - ends. 

Rodolfo Molina, also an MMDA enforcer, said they are trained for it. 

Prior to the assignment for Pope Francis' visit, they plucked from their usual areas of assignments from all over the capital to put some semblance of order during the raucous feast of the Black Nazarene last week. 

On normal days, they restrict illegal roadside vendors and informal settlers whose shanties are slated for demolition. 

For Pope Francis' first apostolic visit in the Philippines, they would wear the same blue shirt carrying the words "mercy and compassion," the papal visit theme. 

After the pope has reached his residence, the Apostolic Nunciature along Taft, and the crowd has gone home, the MMDA employees will head to the Manila Cathedral ahead of the pope's audience there wearing the same blue shirts they wore all day.

It will be another day with barely a nap .