Volume 14 • No. 2 • January 16 - 31, 2018 Publication Mailing Account #41721512
Liza Soberano
Traslación Millions join procession of the Black Nazarene
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Filled with scenes of despair, sacrifice, and other melodramatic displays of emotions, the Traslación is almost surreal. (Photo by Leilani Junio) See more photos by Irving Tan, “Millions...” p7 MANILA – Millions of devotees from all over the country, many of them barefoot, trooped to Manila to participate in this year’s Traslacion (procession) of the Black Nazarene on January 9. According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), the crowd had grown to an estimated four million by 5:00 p.m., and it was expected to grow well into the night. The PNP said all in all, the annual religious pilgrimage attracted between 18 million and 16 million people, including those who had just gone to the
Quiapo Church and those who joined the pahalik (kiss) ritual at the Quirino Grandstand. National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Oscar Albayalde declared the Traslacion “generally peaceful,” with no untoward incident occurring from the time it started at 5:00 a.m. and ended at 3:00 a.m. on January 10. Mobile phone signal was jammed in Manila and some surrounding areas as directed by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). The PNP had earlier asked the
NTC to implement the measure in order to prevent terror attacks, although PNP director general Ronald dela Rosa had said there was “no clear and present danger” threatening the Traslación. The Traslación is held every January in honour of the Black Nazarene, a 500-year-old image that was brought to the Philippines from Mexico. Devotees flock to the annual procession in the hope of touching the image, believing that doing so brings blessing and answers to their prayers. – Jon Joaquin