Palace joins Catholic world in celebrating the
canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII
Malacanang said it joins the Catholic world in
celebrating the canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII. The
Philippines is the only Catholic nation in Asia.
“We join the Catholic world and all people of
goodwill as Pope Francis proclaims the sainthood of Popes John XXIII, who
opened the windows of the Church to the modern era; and John Paul II, who
proclaimed the Gospel so fearlessly to tyrants and embraced the world,” Deputy
presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on
Saturday.
“We continue to pay tribute to Pope John XXIII
creating the first Filipino cardinal, who was Rufino Cardinal Santos; and John
Paul II whose 1981 visit precipitated the official end of Martial Law, and
whose World Youth Day visit was unforgettable in a world of anxiety where
pastoral example gives comfort to the faithful and inspires dignified discourse
among all peoples,” she added.
The late Pope John Paul II has a special place
in the hearts of Filipinos, who visited the country twice during his papacy,
according to Valte.
The late Pope John Paul II, who served as
Pontiff from 1978 to 2005, visited the Philippines twice—in February 1981, when
he beatified the first Filipino martyr, Lorenzo Ruiz, and in January 1995, when
an estimated four million Filipinos attended the Mass he celebrated at the
close of World Youth Day.
His first visit to the country was in 1976, as
Kraków Archbishop Karol Cardinal Wojtyla.
On Sunday, the Roman Catholic Church is set for
major celebrations around the world to mark the canonization of popes John Paul
II and John XXIII.
Pope Francis announced in September that the
double canonization would take place the Second Sunday of Easter and Divine
Mercy.
Officials from Rome said that expect three
millions visitors to the city during Easter celebrations and the upcoming
canonization ceremony. PND (as)
Palace announces opening of Open Data
Philippines Task Force hackathon series
The Palace announced the opening of Open Data
Philippines Task Force’s second series of hackathons aimed at utilizing
government disaster data to help communities prepare and respond to natural
disasters.
The Open Data Philippines Task Force’s second
Open Data (Philippines) or ODP hackathon is entitled, “Readysaster: Hack for
Resilience,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio
interview Saturday.
The hackathon series will take place on May 10
to 11, Valte told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan. The first Open Data Hackathon, Kabantay
ng Bayan, endeavored to develop applications in support of budget transparency.
Registration for Readysaster officially opened
at noon Saturday, Valte said as she encouraged all developers, designers, and
other interested parties to participate.
More details, as well as the registration form,
can be accessed at http://data.gov.ph/events/readysaster, according to Valte.
The Readysaster hackathon is the Open Data
Philippines’ participation in a weeklong series of events that share a theme of
harnessing knowledge, technology, and innovation in building a more resilient
Philippines.
Readysaster was organized in collaboration with
Code for Resilience, the World Bank Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and
Recovery and Project NOAH, and was made possible through partnerships with
Smart Developer Network, Microsoft Philippines, Google Developer Group, and
WhenInManila.com, as well as the support of Smart Bro, Coffee Bean and Tea
Leaf, Mozilla Philippines, and Palet Express, the Palace official said.
Another event, the 1st Philippine Tech Camp:
Disaster Risk Reduction and Response for Resilience, will be held on May 5-6.
The event is organized by the US Department of State and USAID, as well as the
UN World Food Programme, Valte said.
According to Valte, the events in May 5-11 will
complement each other, with both displaying a shared commitment to explore all
avenues in providing solutions to the risks and dangers posed by calamities.
“As always, we are grateful for the continued
support and solidarity of our partners and friends in the international
community—not only in the immediate responses needed after Yolanda struck the
country, but even today, in continuing to empower the Filipino people through
community resilience and disaster preparedness,” she said. PND (as)
