President Aquino forms national organizing committee for Papal Visit

Press Release
October 3, 2014

MALACAÑANG, Manila – President Benigno S. Aquino III has directed the mobilization of government resources to ensure the smooth and orderly visit of His Holiness Pope Francis in the Philippines on January 15 to 19, 2015.

In Memorandum Circular No. 72, President Aquino ordered the creation of the Papal Visit 2015-National Organizing Committee (PV-NOC) for the state visit of the Roman Pontiff to coordinate all preparations for this occasion of great significance to the Filipino people.

“As instructed by President Aquino, all heads of the different government departments, local governments as well as the private sectors are encouraged to participate and coordinate all efforts to make sure that the visit of His Holiness in our country next year will be well organized and peaceful,” Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Friday.

The PV-NOC will be chaired by the Executive Secretary and vice-chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Its members will include the Secretaries of the Departments of National Defense (DND), the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Health (DOH), Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Tourism (DOT), and the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO); the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, National Police Chief, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman.

The PV-NOC is tasked to take up all government participation and responses in connection with the visit of the Pope, and ensure efficient coordination among public and private sectors, particularly with the Central Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP); peace and order; and the traffic management plan for the transportation of persons and goods during the event.

The Central Committee of the CBCP is at the helm of managing and coordinating all religious and civil plans and activities of the Papal Visit.

MC No. 72 likewise called for the establishment of the two local Executive Committees – EXECOM-Manila and EXECOM-Leyte – in the areas of engagement of His Holiness Pope Francis. The EXECOMs will serve as the on-site full-time, day-to-day operations arms of the PV-NOC.

The EXECOM-Manila will be led by an Undersecretary in the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES). Its members will include the Undersecretaries of the DFA, DND, DILG, DPWH, DOH, DOTC, DOT, and PCOO; Chief of the Presidential Protocol Office; representatives from the OP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and MMDA; Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager; Presidential Security Group (PSG) Commander; and head of the Radio-Television Malacañang.

The EXECOM-Leyte, on the other hand, will be led by an Undersecretary in the OES with members including the Regional Director of the PNP, Commander of the AFP Central Command, Regional Directors of the DOTC and DPWH, PSG Security Task Action Group Commander-Leyte, and a representative from the Radio-Television Malacañang.