MANILA, Philippines - Two Filipino children were among the first to welcome Pope Francis on Thursday.
On the tarmac of the Villamor Airbase, a boy and a girl handed flowers to the pope, who embraced them.
An Associated Press report said the two youngsters were from a house for street children.
"I told him bienvenido (welcome in Spanish)," 9-year-old Lanie Ortillo was quoted as saying by the Associated Press, adding the pontiff smiled and replied, "Yes, bienvenido."
Pope Francis arrived in the Philippines around 5:30 p.m.
Hundreds of children from Catholic schools and parishes danced and waved small Philippine and Vatican flags as the pope emerged from the plane.
Clad in matching white T-shirts, the youth performed a rousing welcome dance that drew the flight attendants from the plane out onto the stairwell to watch, the Associated Press reported.
The pontiff then boarded his white, open-sided popemobile to start his first motorcade here along the 11-kilometer route to his official residence , the Apostolic Nunciature in Taft Ave. in Manila.
During his motorcade, the Pope constantly shifted from left to right as thousands of ecstatic Filipinos called his name and snapped pictures. - with Associated Press