During his visit to Palo town in Leyte province last Saturday, Pope Francis got the chance to try not one but three Filipino dishes.

 

According to a report on GMA's “24 Oras” aired Monday evening, the charismatic pope had malunggay soup, lechon, and chicken inasal with 30 victims Typhoon Yolanda and the Bohol earthquake at a lunch at the archbishop's residence there

 

According to the report, the pope seemed to like the food and did not leave leftovers on his plate.

After lunch, Pope Francis personally went to each disaster survivor there and offered his sympathy for their losses.

 

Among those consoled by the pope was Rowe Chuca who lost his parents and wife in the typhoon that ravaged Eastern Visayas in 2013.

 

Chuca said that with Pope Francis' presence, he felt that he was no longer alone.

 

“Kahit po maulan, pumunta po siya dito para sa amin. Nandoon po 'yung sigla tsaka 'yung lakas ng loob sa mga pagsubok na darating kailangan hindi maging mahina kungdi yakapin [ang pagsubok],” he said.

 

Pope Francis visited the Philippine from Jan. 15 to 19. Among the activities during his visit were celebrating a mass with Yolanda victims in Tacloban City, another mass at Luneta Park, and reaching out to representatives of the youth at an an event at the University of Santo Tomas. — Andrei Medina/JDS, GMA News