The closest we had ever been with a saint… Pope John Paul II. Taken during the 1995 World Youth Day in Manila. I was just 16 years old back then.
The Philippine automobile manufacturer Francisco Motor Corporation produced the custom popemobile for the 1995 papal visit. It was funded by voluntary contributions from the private sector, and (as with the Irish vehicle) had bulletproof windows, bombproof parts, and passed inspection by the Swiss Guards. When John Paul II died, this popemobile was briefly borrowed by parish officials of the Quiapo Church to be put on display. It became a pilgrimage destination for Filipino devotees who could not afford to go to the Vatican for the pope’s burial ceremonies.http://en.wikipedia.org/
Francisco Motors Is Blitzscaling — And We’re Engineering an XR Protocol That Makes the Metaverse Look Like Child’s Play
For 78 years, Francisco Motors has been synonymous with mobility, culture, and transformation. From the original Jeepney platform built by my father and uncles in 1947 to today’s hydrogen-powered, AI-driven, aerospace-grade vehicles, we have always pioneered the next frontier. Now, we’re doing it again — but this time, on a scale that rewrites the rulebook.
November 16, 2025
