The leader of the Catholic Church will ply the streets once destroyed by supertyphoon Yolanda and extend his compassion to our countrymen-survivors.

Preparations are in full swing for the upcoming visit of Pope Francis in January 2015 to the Philippines. In Tacloban and Palo, the heart of the Pontiff's mercy and compassion visit, we take a look at the proposed route he will be taking from touchdown at the airport to the open-air Mass outside the airport. This spills over to the motorcade that then leads to the Palo Cathedral, where he is scheduled to bless and meet the survivors of supertyphoon Yolanda.

Pope Francis's Itinerary on January 17, 2015 in Tacloban & Palo, Leyte

Coming off the first-year commemoration of the typhoon's destruction, Tacloban and Palo are in the midst of hectic preparations, with infrastructure and venue being rushed before the year ends.

Compressed into a 6-minute video (below) is the proposed route of the motorcade, which is expected to stretch to hours along the 2-kilometer route when the crowd swells into the hundreds of thousands as they welcome the much-loved Pope.

The Pope's Route in Tacloban & Palo:

· Daniel Romualdez Airport

· New road linking airport runway to open field

· Open field for the public Mass

· Burayan Bridge, Tacloban City

· Rotonda to Tacloban or Palo

· Robinson's Place on Tabuan National Highway

· Tabuan National Highway

· Palo Cathedral

· Memorial for typhoon Yolanda victims, Palo Cathedral grounds

(Text and video from Fernando G. Sepe Jr., November 25, 2014.)

Papal Visit 2015 Itinerary:

January 15, 2015

· Arrival from Sri Lanka – Villamor Air Base

· Motorcade to the Apostolic Nunciature – Taft Avenue, Manila

January 16, 2015

· Welcome Ceremony – Malacañan Palace, Manila

· Motorcade to the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral)

· Mass with Bishops, Priests, and Religious – Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral)

· Motorcade to the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay Encounter with Families – Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay

January 17, 2015

· Departure for Archdiocese of Palo – Villamor Air Base

· Arrival at Tacloban Airport

· Holy Mass – Tacloban Airport

· Lunch with the Poor and Survivors of Calamities at Gonzagahaus (Residence of the Archbishop of Palo) – Palo, Leyte

· Blessing of the Pope Francis Center for the Poor – Palo, Leyte

· Meeting with the Priests and Religious at Cathedral of Our Lord’s Transfiguration (Palo Cathedral) – Palo, Leyte

· Departure for Manila Arrival at Manila – Villamor Air Base

January 18, 2015

· Brief Meeting with the Religious Leaders and Encounter with the Youth – Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila

· Motorcade to Rizal Park, Manila

· Concluding Mass, Rizal Park, Manila

January 19, 2015

· Motorcade from the Apostolic Nunciature

· Departure for Rome