President Ferdinand Marcos Jr declared a four-day national mourning to commemorate the passing of Pope Francis.

Pope Francis died April 21 at the age of 88.

In a two-page Proclamation No. 871 dated April 23, Marcos announced the start of the day of mourning, which will last until the burial of Pope Francis on Saturday.

"During this period of mourning, the national flag shall be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on all government buildings and installations throughout the Philippines abroad," he said.

Pope Francis, who was born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, visited the country in 2015 to meet with those who were affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013.

"Pope Francis holds a special place in the hearts of the Filipino people, particularly for his Apostolic Visit to the Philippines in January 2015, where he offered comfort and solidarity to victims of Typhoon Yolanda, and celebrated the resilience of the Filipino faithful despite adversities," the proclamation read.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Marcos will attend the funeral of Pope Francis.

His remains will be then will interred at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. DMS