Manila, January 14, 2015 – As a public service, leading telecoms and multimedia service provider PLDT, together with wholly-owned subsidiaries Smart Communications and Sun Cellular, is setting up 33 free public viewing sites that will livestream Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines in select parishes and PLDT Sales and Service Centers (SSCs) in and outside of Metro Manila.
“This will allow more Filipinos to experience and be part of the papal visit. PLDT, Smart and Sun Cellular have partnered with several parishes in order to bring the Pope’s presence to more Filipinos using modern communications technologies," said PLDT spokesperson Ramon Isberto.
“Those who live far from the papal itinerary are welcome to view the mass and dialogue activities of the Pope in the video streaming sites that PLDT, Smart and Sun Cellular have set up in different PLDT offices and churches in the country together with their respective parishes,” Isberto added. “We have partnered with TV5 and Cignal TV to provide the video feed for these free viewing sites.”
Viewing hubs that will cover Pope Francis’ 5-day itinerary include PLDT SSCs in SM malls such as SM Sta. Mesa, SM Southmall in Las Pinas, SM North EDSA in Quezon City, and SM Marilao in Bulacan. The live streaming will show the Pope’s different activities in the country from morning of January 15 when he arrives at the airport until he flies back to Rome on January 19.
The PLDT flagship store in Pasay will hold a special streaming for the Pope’s activities on Sunday from the meeting with the youth and religious leaders in the University of Santo Tomas, to the motorcade going to Rizal Park, and the concluding mass to be held in Quirino Grandstand. PLDT SSCs outside of Metro Manila will also set up viewing sites on Sunday include Tarlac; San Fernando, Pampanga; Jones, Cebu; Calamba, Laguna; and in Ponciano, Davao.
PLDT has also partnered with several parishes to organize viewing sites for their local parishioners. Communities near the San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish in San Juan Rizal, Five Wounds Shrine Parish in Las Pinas, San Felipe Neri Church in Greenhills, Mary Help of Christians Parish and St. Joseph Parish in Paranaque, St. Nino Parish in Novaliches, Sts. Peter and John Parish in Malabon, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Quezon City can watch the livestream of the Pope’s itinerary on Sunday.
Residents in Cebu and Leyte can also view the Papal activities. Taclobanons can go to Redemptorist Church and Sto Nino Church on Real St., Guadalupe Church in Brgy. Abucay, Nuestra Senora de Salvacion Chapel in Burayan, San Jose, Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish in Marasbaras, and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in V&G Subdivision. Viewing sites are also set up in Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish in Pawing, Palo, Lady of Assumption Church in Dauis, St. Augustine Parish Church in Sagbayan, and St. Peter the Apostle Parish Church in Loboc. Cebuanos can go to San Vicente Parish Church in Bogo, San Juan Nepomuceno Parish Church in San Remigio, and the Cebu Cathedral.
St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Tagbilaran, Bohol and the Parish of the Most Holy Rosary Church in Estancia, Iloilo will also organize viewing site for their communities.
With more than 85% of the country being Catholics, millions of Filipinos are expected to attend the Pope’s public activities in the country particularly on Sunday and in his visit to Tacloban. Carrying the theme ‘Mercy & Compassion’, the Pope has expressed his intention to visit the country primarily to comfort the victims and survivors of the typhoon and earthquake that struck Visayas in 2013.
