Your Papal visit survival guide

Go (coco)nuts! Share this story with your friends.

Isn’t reading about the massive preparations for Pope Francis’ visit enough to make you want to go out there and be part of it — even without an invite, an accredition, or a plan? Well, we can’t give you the first two, but we can certainly give you the third. Here is your Papal visit survival guide. We wrote this especially for cramjammers, spontaneous spirits, your everyday uzis, people whose name isn’t on any list, but would very much like to catch the glimpse of the Pope.

Friday (Jan 16, 11:15am): Holy Mass at Manila Cathedral, Intramuros, Manila. We are assuming that the Pope will come from his official welcome at the Malacañan Palace. The shortest route to Manila Cathedral would be via Ayala Boulevard toward Finance Road, and then into Intramuros through General Luna St. (No official routes have been confirmed, for security reasons. This is purely speculation.)

• Start looking for your vantage point: At dawn 

• Situate yourself along:

– The walls of Intramuros. If the Pope’s entourage is indeed passing Gen. Luna Street (using the entrance closest to the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pilipinas), you can wait for him atop the walls. Security might clear the portions of the wall closest to where the Pope will pass through, but if you’re there early enough, you could, should find a good vantage point. If you’re perched on the portion of the wall along Muralla Street in front of Mapua and overlooking the golf course, you might be able to see the motorcade inching on Finance Road.

– Any of the side streets intersecting Gen. Luna Street. Or running beside Manila Cathedral. The streets — including Muralla, Victoria, Real, Anda, and Cabildo — aren’t wide, but come early enough and you could squeeze out a space for yourself.

– Parking lot of San Agustin Church. The church sits right in front of Gen. Luna Street. But, note that it slopes down. So position yourself as close to the street as you can to get some height.

 Plaza Roma. It is right in front of the Cathedral and is the perfect spot to catch a glimpse.

• Where to eat:

– Ristorante delle Mitre (470 General Luna cor Real Street; +63 2 5595220. Daily 8am-8:30pm). Right across San Agustin Church, Ristorante delle Mitre is managed by the Monestary Cathecists of St. Therese. If you were unsuccessful in spotting the Pope, take consolation in the fact that nuns will cook your food here. Aha! One step to holy.

– Coco Bango Café and Restaurant (White Knight Hotel, Plaza San Luis Complex General Luna Street cor Urdaneta Street, Intramuros; +63 2 5252381. Daily 24/7). Another one right across San Agustin Church and it is open 24 hours. Reward yourself (or fill yourself up for the wait) with the adobong tagalog (PHP175), sinigang na baboy (PHP205) or the pure beef burger (PHP165).

Friday (Jan 16, 5:30pm): Meeting with families at SM Mall of Asia Arena. Here is our educated guess regarding the Pope’s route. From Intramuros to SM Mall of Asia, the simplest route is Bonifacio Drive (skimming Port Area) on to Roxas Blvd, making a right at either Buendia or Edsa Extension and then heading straight to the Arena. If this is the case, your best bet would be to stand at any point along Roxas Boulevard. The stretch of Manila Baywalk would be good. But even better would be to get a vantage point from any of the hotels in the area. Note: a lot of them are fully booked so get a move on if you’re serious about this little field trip of yours.

• Start looking for your vantage point: 8am. Screw the Manila Cathedral function and get your game on for the 5:30pm MOA Arena event, instead.

• Book your spot:

Icon Hotel (1010 Diosdado Macapagal Blvd, Paranaque,+63 2 5123389). According to Agoda.com, unlike most hotels near the locations of Papal events, Icon still has available rooms! It’s not the nearest, but it’s just a few kilometers’ walk to SM MOA. We say book a room, and already you’ve conquered the distance!

– Hotel Jen (3001 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay; +63 2 7958888). Formerly Traders, Hotel Jen is right across the boulevard from CCP. They have Club Rooms, which are the only rooms that overlook Roxas Boulevard and have access to the roof deck. We suggest book a room now.

– Heritage Hotel (Roxas Boulevard cor EDSA, Pasay; +63 2 8548888). Another hotel in the vicinity that surprisingly still has available rooms, Agoda suggests you book a corner room overlooking the EDSA- Roxas interesection, where you can view the Papal entourage making its way to SM MOA Arena. If you want to be right in the middle of action, go down the hotel and get yourself a spot on EDSA Extension.

• Where to eat:

– Gloria Maris (Harbor Square, CCP Complex, Pasay; +6 32 8313816; Mon-Thur, 11am-2pm, 6-11pm; Fri & Sat, 10am-2pm, 5:30pm-12mn). We hear their beef brisket noodle soup is tops (PHP248) as well as their honey pork asado siopao (PHP90).

– Rai Rai Ken (Blue Wave Strip Mall, Macapagal Boulevard, Manila Bay Reclamation Area, Pasay; +6 32 5564986; Wed-Sat, 11-2am; Sun-Tues, 11am-12mn) Order something that hits the spot fast. It’s hard to fail with the gyoza (PHP60 for 3 pieces) or the chicken teriyaki (PHP205).

Sunday (Jan 18, 9:45am): Meeting with religious leaders and the youth forum at the UST Campus. There are conflicting reports regarding the Pope’s route coming from the Embassy of the Holy See (Apostolic Nunciature) on Taft Avenue to the University of Sto. Tomas on Espana Avenue. So your best bet would be to just hang around the UST area.

• Start looking for your vantage point: At dawn

• Catch a glimpse of the Pope:

– 3/F UST parking building. Unfortunately, UST security can’t confirm, until the event itself, if the parking building will be open on Jan. 18th. If it is — and if the gates of UST will be open for “walk-ins” (i.e., people whose names aren’t on the list of invitees) — grab a spot at the third level of the parking building. Even from across an open field.

– España Boulevard. Look for your spot from Morayta to the gates of UST. TIP: Use the overpass!

• Where to eat:

– S.R. Thai Cuisine (965 P. Noval St., Sampaloc, Manila; +63 2 7345443. Daily 10am-10pm) Try the bagoong rice (PHP105) topped with chicken oyster sauce (PHP95), or carbo-load with hofan noodles with beef gravy.

– Mang Tootz Food House (1135 P. Noval Street, Sampaloc, Manila; +63 2 7356855; Mon-Sat 8am-9pm). This well-loved carinderia is a favorite among UST faculty and students alike for its delicious but cheap food (cooked by Mang Tootz himself) and excellent service. This will fill you up: inihaw na liempo with rice and vegetable soup (all for PHP70), plus a dessert of the famous banana-rhuma, Mang Tootz’ own take on turon (3 pieces for PHP10).

– Santorini (981 P. Noval Street, Sampaloc, Manila; +63 2 5683677. Daily, 9am-9pm). Waiting for hours to see the Pope deserves an authentic Korean meal. Try either the bibimbap (PHP150) or the cheapest of the lot, korean ramen (PHP100).

Sunday (Jan 18, 3:30pm): Holy Mass at Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park. At least a million faithful are expected to attend this mass. Plan accordingly.

• Start looking for your vantage point: 5am. 

• Where to catch a glimpse of the Pope:

– Manila Baywalk on Roxas Blvd, and Maria Orosa Street. After the motorcade passes by, you can inch forward to Quirino Grandstand for the mass. 

– Luneta Hotel (414 TM Kalaw Ave. Ermita, Manila; +6 32 8758921 to 29). You could hang out at Café Yano and have a Filipino breakfast with one of the usual: tapa, adobo, tocino, corned beef, longganisa, daing na bangus (PHP350). For a better vantage point, head up to the hotel’s rooftop cocktail bar (both the bar and Café Yano are open daily 6am-10pm) and have a beer (starts PHP75) while you’re at it.

• Where to eat:

– Harbor View Restaurant (1000 South Gate A, Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila; +6 32 3590570. Daily, 11am-2am). Have loads of seafood: nilasing na hipon (PHP265), inihaw na tiyan ng tuna (PHP260), seafood rice (PHP110).

– Café Ilang-Ilang (Manila Hotel, 1 Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila; +6 32 527001. Daily 6-10:30am, 11am-2:30pm, 5:30-10pm) Satiate your hunger with a pizza manila hotel (PHP395) or maybe some roasted pork tenderloin (PHP295).

– Aristocrat Restaurant (432 San Andres Street, Malate, Manila; +63 2 5247671 to 80. Open 24/7). Fill up with a pork barbecue meal, served with java rice and atchara (PHP175) or sizzling sisig (PHP210).

More tips for survival:

• You will obviously be taking videos and photos with either your phone or camera. Strap your devise to your hand snugly with several rubber bands so that it will be difficult for snatchers to grab it and run. (No, seriously.)

• Wear comfortable and light clothing and footwear.

• Bring crackers and lots of drinking water, binoculars and wipes. Umbrellas aren’t allowed so apply sunblock lotion, wear a hat or bring a raincoat.

Image: Praew Tansanga

 

Want to read more? Scroll down and click the ‘next post’ button.



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on