By Priam F. Nepomuceno & Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan
MANILA, Jan. 18 (PNA) — People who have flocked to see and hear Pope Francis say mass at the Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park in Manila has now reached the 2,490,000 mark as of 2 p.m.
The MMDA Metrobase said most of these people are congregated in front of the Quirino Grandstand and other side streets of the Rizal Park which includes United Nations Avenue, Maria Orosa St., Kalaw Avenue, Roxas Boulevard and P. Burgos St.
Metrobase expects the figures to balloon further as more and more people are seen heading towards the area to see the Pontiff despite strong winds and rains.
As this develops, Jerrick Calderon, 55, married and an Antipolo City resident, said that Pope Francis seems more charismatic than Saint John Paul II, whom he also witnessed when the latter visited the country during the 10th World Youth Day in 1995.
He added that what made Pope Francis more appealing was the latter’s engaging smile.
Calderon also said that he and his companions were in the Rizal Park environs as early 12 a.m. Saturday, in a bid to get close to the Quirino Grandstand, but they were beaten to the punch by people who arrived much earlier. (PNA)