Pope dons raincoat as he pushes through with motorcade at Tacloban airport

(Updated 9:28 a.m.) While he walked down the plane which brought him from Manila to Tacloban sans umbrella or raincoat amid rains, Pope Francis was given a yellow poncho to wear while he goes around the airport where thousands of Yolanda victims gathered to welcome him. 

 

Aides were seen helping the 78-year-old pontiff wear the waterproof poncho, as rains continued to fall from the skies.

 

Pope Francis arrived in Tacloban City Saturday morning to a warm welcome from the faithful who have been waiting for days for his arrival amid rain and inclement weather due to Tropical Storm Amang (Mekkhala).

 

A sea of people wearing identical yellow raincoats donated by a private company burst in cheers as the plane carrying the Pope touched down from Manila.

 

Several in the crowd chanted, "Viva il Papa, Papa Francesco!" radio dzBB's Sam Nielsen reported.

 

Palo Archbishop John Du led the welcoming party at the airport.

 

The Pope is in the province to start his day-long visit to survivors of recent deadly calamities in the country, especially Typhoon Yolanda and the Bohol earthquake in the Visayas.

 

The Philippine Airlines plane bearing the Pope and his party touched down at the the Daniel Romualdez International Airport at 8:47 a.m. even as the province of Leyte, along with six other areas in the country, are under Storm Signal 2 early on Saturday morning.

 

Leyte province, particularly Tacloban and Palo cities, was among the areas badly hit when Yolanda lashed Central Visayas in November 2013, with millions left homeless and desperate.

 

On the other hand, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Visayas, particularly in Bohol, on October 15, 2013, leaving 222 dead and many historical churches destroyed. —Patricia Denise Chiu and Joel Locsin/RSJ/KG, GMA News