Pope John Paul II Tower: a Historical Landmark in Bacolod City

In Negros Occidental, one important landmark and tourist attraction is the Pope John Paul II Tower in Bacolod City. The seven-storey building is dedicated to the late Pope John Paul II who visited this capital city on the 20th of February 1981. It was such a momentous and festive event for the people of Bacolod City that time as they were blessed by his visit. The tower is located in the city’s Reclamation Area or BREDCO (Bacolod Real Estate Development Corporation) area, the site where the late Pope celebrated the Holy Mass in front of a crowd estimated to be almost a million. An eight-foot sculpture of the Pope greets visitors near the gate entrance of the tower.

As stated in the building’s Vision and Mission, “The Pope John Paul II Tower is a pilgrimage center that embodies and perpetuates the ideas, life, advocacies, commitment and holiness of Pope John Paul II – an ardent Promoter of the culture of life and the culture of love.”

One Sunday evening on our way home from SM Bacolod, the city’s biggest mall, we decided to drop by the building and take some photos since it is just nearby. The lighted cross, 12-foot in height, on top of the tower, can be easily seen from the street. It was almost closing time at 8:00 PM, although the lobby guard assured us they close even past that hour if there are still visitors. The entrance fee is just PHP 20, it’s very affordable than those museum rates in Europe. This tells me that there are actually many local attractions worth visiting here before I dream about one of those cheap breaks to New York.

The tower was borne out of an inspiration few years ago in 2008 by Fr. Felix Pasquin, the rector of the Diocese of Bacolod’s San Sebastian Cathedral, while the diocese was getting itself busy with its Diamond Jubilee preparations that year. He remembered that one of the highlights of the diocese’s history was the Pope’s significant visit in 1981 in BREDCO. The marble marker that was supposed to commemorate the historical visit was lost and so he opened up the idea to Atty. Simplicio Palanca, the President of BREDCO, for the construction of a new marker to coincide with the Diamond Jubilee celebration. The proposal was brought to reality, with Atty. Palanca’s generosity (he financed for the building’s construction) and the approval of Bishop Vicente M. Navarra of the Diocese of Bacolod.

As inscribed at the base of the late Pope’s eight-foot sculpture:

Pope John Paul II
celebrated the Eucharist on this site,
the Bacolod Real Estate Development
Corporation (BREDCO) Area,
Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines
Before an assembly of almost a million people
on February 20, 1981.

Unveiled and Blessed
by his Grace Archibishop Edward Joseph Adams,
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines,
with the assistance of Bishop Vicente M. Navarra, D.D., Bishop of Bacolod
and Rev. Fr. Felix Pasquin, Rector of San Sebastian Cathedral
on the occasion of the blessing of the Pope John Paul II Tower
on February 18, 2010.

According to the guard, the tower is open daily, although he didn’t give a definite time they usually open but you can go there as early as 8:00 AM if you wish. You can go up the stairs to the top or use the elevator. Each floor has Pope John Paul II’s memorabilia, so it’s really worth a visit. Our time was limited though, so we decided not to go up the stairs. I can just imagine how it would be at the roof deck, seeing some great overlooking views of the city and even Mt. Kanlaon and the nearby islands. I’m pretty sure it would be best to take some sunset photos from the rooftop. So yes, I will definitely be visiting the tower again.