Pope Francis blesses Bohol quake survivors

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — “Pope Francis blessed Bohol earthquake victims,” Niza Flores, a resident of Sagbayan town and one of the five lucky Boholanos to have a brief lunch and meeting with the Pontiff, said in an exclusive interview hours after the event at the Archbishop's Palace in Palo, Leyte yesterday.

Flores said that, even if the pope hurried out as he cut short his visit and catch his flight back to Manila due to the threat of storm Amang, he was able to talk to her and each of the 29 other survivors of Yolanda and the earthquake of Bohol, both in 2013.

Aside from Flores, other lucky Boholanos who huddled with the pope were Salome Israel of Tubigon town; Saturnino Barace of Antequera; Shirley Bongay of Loon; and Veneranda Gentallan of Maribojoc.

"I'm very happy," said Flores, adding that she told the pope what happened to her and son Jevie, who died during the magnitude-7.2 earthquake that hit Bohol and left thousands homeless, 209 dead, and centuries-old churches, government infrastructures and private properties in ruins.

Flores said each of the 30 representative survivors was able to talk to the Pontiff, who told her he will bless Bohol and the victims of calamities.

Bongay and Israel-who both lost their respective right arms after being pinned by toppled concrete posts and beams of their shattered houses-also shared to the pope their painful experience.

Barace, for his part, lost his relatives when their house collapsed as a result of the tremor, while Gentallan narrated to the pope that she was already deemed dead when found by rescuers but she survived miraculously although with a broken jaw, cracked spine and skull.

All five of them left Bohol Wednesday morning, via Cebu City, to Tacloban City. They said they were lucky enough to sail ahead of the scheduled meeting with Pope as storm Amang left their relatives and other pilgrims stranded for not being allowed to sail. (FREEMAN)