Information about Pope John Paul II Tower

Pope John Paul II Tower

The Pope John Paul II Tower is a seven-story structure in Bacolod City. As its name suggests, it is dedicated to the former head of the Catholic Church, who visited Bacolod on February 20, 1981. The tower was constructed in the reclamation area of Bacolod, which is also known as the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corporation (BREDCO) area, where the late pope delivered a mass in front of an estimated crowd of one million people at the time. In light of the monumental event for devout Catholics, the president of BREDCO had the tower built in honor of Pope John Paul II after his visit. In addition to the tower, an eight-foot-tall bronze statue of the pope was also placed in the front yard on February 18, 2010.

The tower has a viewing deck at the top floor offering panoramic views of Bacolod City. It also contains numerous memorabilia of the pope during his visit, such as commemorative coins, the utensils he used, the chair he sat on, and the garments he wore. There is also a gallery of photos from his visit submitted by onlookers. A twelve-foot cross that lights up at night marks the top of the tower and can be easily seen from the street.

How to get there

The tower stands along Rizal Street in Bacolod City's downtown area. The best way to get here is by renting a private car or taking a taxi that will take you straight here with no stops. A more cost-effective way would be to opt for public transport such as jeepneys and tricycles. Otherwise, you can book tour packages that include guided visits to the tower in the itinerary to make your trip hassle-free. 

Best time to visit

Travelers can visit the Pope John Paul II Tower throughout the year as it is open daily. It is best to plan a visit here in the dry months, which usually start in December up until the early weeks of June, so that you can get an unobstructed view of the Bacolod City from the tower's viewing deck. The sunset view from here is also fantastic, so plan to get here before the sun sets, which usually ranges from 5 PM onwards, to see the sky turn beautiful shades of orange and red.