EDITORIAL - Joy, anxiety over papal visit

Ordinary Filipinos are pretty much excited about the news, made official by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, that Pope Francis will be in the Philippines next year, from  January 15  to  January 19. What is not clear is whether government officials share the same excitement with the general populace, knowing that the pope will be visiting areas devastated by Yolanda and will be interacting with victims of the strongest storm ever recorded on earth.

There is reason for government officials to be anxious about the papal interaction with the Yolanda victims. Contrary to government pronouncements, there has been little official action that has given the victims some semblance of normalcy back in their lives. The vast majority of the victims continue to live in tents and many still rely on aid for sustenance.

Not that government has not done anything. It has. But what government has done appears too little and too slow to make a significant impact on the disrupted lives of people, given the staggering scope of the devastation. In fact, had it not been for the massive and quick assistance provided by more than 30 countries and volunteer organizations, one shudders to think what the situation on the ground would be like now.

And now the pope is coming. Owing to his position as leader of the church to which majority of Filipinos belong, and his reputation for being open and accommodating to the common folk, his visit does indeed pose some serious concern for anyone working for government, particularly those whose line of work can be associated directly with the relief and rehabilitation efforts.

If government officials have some sensitivity, they should begin getting anxious by now, wondering what the pope might find out in his interaction with the Yolanda victims. For sure they will be describing to the pontiff their situation as it is. They will be opening up to the Holy Father in a manner that they cannot do so toward their own officials.And knowing how this pope speaks his mind, some government p.r. nightmare could be in the offing.

One thing going for the government, however, is that it is still the beginning of August. It has a good five and a half months to recover lost ground in its efforts to truly bring the victims back on their feet. Much can be accomplished in that time, provided government is truly earnest in putting every promised centavo where its mouth is.

If government fails to catch up with what it is expected to do in terms of giving the victims their lives back, there will be hell to pay in the backlash if the pope starts speaking his mind about what he should see with his own eyes during the visit. And that is something the government cannot afford, especially this government many of whose members will be facing the nation again in another election in 2016.

On the other hand, a good job by government in catching up with its Yolanda responsibilities can instantly be turned into precious political capital, especially if the pope does not get shy in handing out congratulations and pats in the back. Even if he is not likely to, the pope can unwittingly become a terrific political endorser for the ambitions of some. The pope will realize that of course. But he is also an honest, if effusive, man. He will speak his mind.