Pope says he’ll focus on poor, exploited in Philippine trip

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Pope Francis says he will focus on the poor, the exploited and victims of injustice during his four-day trip to the Philippines.

Francis was greeted by ecstatic crowds when he arrived in Manila on Thursday on the first papal visit to Asia’s largest Catholic nation in 20 years. The pontiff described his priorities for the second leg of his Asian trip during his flight to Manila from Sri Lanka.

“The central nut of the message will be the poor, the poor who want to go forward, the poor who suffered from Typhoon Haiyan and are continuing to suffer the consequences,” he said.

His message will resonate in a country where poverty afflicts nearly a quarter of the 100 million people, and where many Filipinos leave their families in search of jobs abroad.