The day a Pope blessed a poor family living in a shanty in Tondo

It’s Throwback Wednesday.

While the so-called “Francis Effect” is upon us, hopefully to live in our hearts forever and ever (amen!), I might as well add my humble recollection of another Papal Visit more than decades ago.

Before Pope Francis (a.k.a. The Smiling Pope, The People’s Pope and Lolo Kiko), there were Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II (now a saint, who visited the Philippines twice, the second having been in 1995 for the World Youth Day).

As a cub reporter for the old Manila Times, I was blessed to be assigned to cover Pope Paul VI’s visit to a poor family living at a shanty in Tondo, Manila, in November 1970, barely three weeks after Metro Manila was hit by a typhoon. I carried neither a tape recorder/notebook nor a camera, and not dressed “properly” (not in coat or something) so I was able to slip through the barriers without the guards noticing it. “Maybe they thought you were a resident there,” some of my colleagues kidded me. Thankfully, I must have looked like one (thank you).

A day before the Pope’s visit, I checked out the family’s shanty and talked to the couple. This was my report published on the Times’ front page (complete with my by-line) the next day, Nov. 29, 1970 (Saturday):

The shanty shakes a bit under one’s weight. Nestling desperately almost close to the ground, it measures barely 15 feet long and nine feet wide and is located in a dump just outside of the concrete fence of the Don Bosco Training Center in barrio Magsaysay, Tondo, Manila. The only thing that distinguishes it from the other shanties around is a small Philippine Flag planted prominently on its roof.

This is the house which Pope Paul VI is going to visit at 4 o’clock this afternoon before he enplanes for Australia. The Pope will bless the house and the occupants.

The family living there is a big one: Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Navarro  (both 40) and their eight children who are Alexander, 16; Marcelino, 15; Carlito, 13; Ronaldo, 9; Ariel, 7; Nestor, 4; Julito, 2; and Nancy, six months. There were actually 10 children but two of them died. Ariel fell ill with polio when he was only one year old.

Mrs. Navarro is beside herself with excitement over the prospect of being visited by the Holy Father.

“Salamat naman at sa kabila ng aming kahirapan dito ay naiisipan ng Papa na bisitahin kami,” she says. (“We are thankful that despite our poverty, the Pope remembers to visit us.”)

She was informed about the Pope’s visit to her house by Fr. Miguel Solaroli, director of the Don Bosco, only one day before the Pope arrived.

Asked why her family was chosen, Mrs. Navarro answered, “Dapat naman po dahil sa aming malubhang kahirapan.” (“It must be because of our extreme poverty.”)

According to Mrs. Navarro, her husband is a casual worker at a construction company in Pandacan, Manila. Since his salary can hardly make ends meet, Mr. Navarro saves a few by making it a point not to ride to work. Instead, he gets up at 3 o’clock in the morning and walks his way to work. His working time starts at 7 a.m.

To help the family, the older children do all kinds of work after school hours. Alexander fetches water for a fee. Carlito sells lumpia for a neighbor. Marcelino gathers sea food for sale. Mrs. Navarro keeps the house; in her spare time she does charity work at the Don Bosco. She is a member of the community’s Mothers Club.

A narrow path made of sand and stones has been constructed from a crack in the concrete to Navarros’ shanty.

And here’s my follow-up report the next day, also published on the Times’ front page in its Nov. 30, 1970 issue:

The Pope yesterday visited a shanty in Tondo to dramatize his concern for the poor.

As the Pope walked slowly down the sand path to the shanty, he kept blessing the people around, some of whom were perched on rooftops, acknowledging their cheers with a wave of his hand.

Inside the house, the Pope blessed the occupants: Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Navarro and their eight children, one of the eight had polio when he was only one year old.

One by one, the Navarro family kissed the Pope’s hand. Then they all knelt down in prayer.

According to Mrs. Navarro, the mother of the family, the Pope requested them to pray the Hail Mary.

With the Pope, the family knelt down in front of a Cursillo picture of Christ which was guarded on either side by two lighted candles.

After the prayers, the Pope gave the Navarros medals, rosaries and religious pictures. Ariel, the polio-stricken child, was given a picture of the Madonna and Child.

Mr. Navarro said that the Pope then asked him what his job was and he answered that he was a casual worker at a construction company. The Pope also asked him what his family wished for.

“Sabi ko, bendisyunan na lamang po ninyo kami, ang Tondo at ang buong Pilipinas.” (“I said, ‘Just please bless our family, the district of Tondo and the whole Philippines.”)

Before he left, the Pope asked the family never to forget to pray. Then, he got $500 in cash from his pocket and gave it to Mr. Navarro.

When he stepped out of the house, the Pope looked very sad. He was solemn-faced and there were traces of tears in his eyes.

According to Mrs. Navarro, she noticed that the Pope was in tears during the prayers.

Prior to this, the Pope visited the First Lady (Imelda Marcos’) Tulungan Center which is located on Del Pan St.

Forgetting hunger and poverty for a while, the people of Tondo came out in full force to give the Pope what must have been the warmest and most emotional reception ever of his three-day visit in the Philippines.

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