Sweden's king set to visit Tacloban

CEBU, Philippines - Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf will visit Tacloban City, one of the areas hit hardest by typhoon Yolanda, on Sunday to assess the damage caused by the cyclone, a GMA7 News report said yesterday.

King Gustaf, as honorary chairman of the World Scout Foundation, will also see how Yolanda affected Boy Scout members in the region, the PNA reported. Earlier, he organized a fundraising campaign for survivors of Yolanda.

Expected to accompany him to Tacloban are officials of the Boy Scout-Asian Pacific Region and Vice President Jejomar Binay, the BSP's national chairman.

In Tacloban, the King will be welcomed by Leyte Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, Leyte 1st district Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, An Waray party-list Rep. Neil Benedict Montejo, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, City Administrator Tecson John Lim and Palo (Leyte) town Mayor Remedios Petilla.

Gustaf will visit the San Jose National High School and distribute 100 Boy Scout uniforms. He will also go to the Boy Scout Junction where the first life-size Boy Scout monument was erected.

He is expected to proceed to the San Fernando Central School and to the BSP building at the Capitol grounds, and then to the Leyte Park Hotel where he will meet with guests to discuss the concerns of the Boy Scouts in the region.

The King will then go to the Boy Scout in Motion monuments at the Government Center in Palo prior his departure back to Manila. — (FREEMAN)