MANILA, Philippines — Millions of devotees of the Black Nazarene are expected to join the Traslacion today, which is expected to be more organized than in previous years, with thousands of police personnel escorting the andas or carriage bearing the image of Jesus Christ.
Quiapo rector Msgr. Hernando Coronel presided over a vigil mass at midnight last night at the Quirino Grandstand, with outgoing Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle delivering the homily.
The Traslacion is the procession of the image of the Black Nazarene, marking the arrival of the image at the St. John Parish in Quiapo in 1767.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said all security measures have been laid out for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the procession.
“Despite it taking a shorter route than usual, we guarantee the public and the devotees of the Black Nazarene that all bases are covered and all security measures are in place for the Traslacion 2020,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Año said at least 13,624 police officers were deployed for today’s procession, with about 2,144 police officers from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion and Special Action Force forming the “andas wall” that will secure both sides of the carriage and the front to ensure no delay in the procession.
Año urged devotees to cooperate with the authorities to ensure a smooth procession and avoid accidents, and appealed to the public not to bring their children to the procession. The elderly and the sick were also asked to refrain from participating for security and safety reasons.
Devotees will be prohibited from climbing the andas, and will only be allowed to touch the image from the back of the carriage.
Father Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of Quiapo Church, said that the procession of the image of the Black Nazarene from Luneta to Quiapo Church will immediately follow the 5 a.m. mass today at the Quirino Grandstand.
Unlike in previous years, Badong said there will be a slight change in the procession route: from Quirino Grandstand, it will turn left to Katigbak Drive through Padre Burgos St.; right to Padre Burgos St. through Finance Road counter flow; and left to Finance Road through Ayala Boulevard right to counter flow.
From Ayala Boulevard, the carriage will turn left to Palanca St.; right to Quezon Boulevard; right to Arlegui St.; right to Fraternal St.; right to Vergara St.; left to Duque de Alba St.; left to Castillejos St.; left to Farnecio St.; and right to Arlegui St.
The andas will turn left to Nepomuceno St. from Arlegui St.; left to Conception Aguila St.; right to Carcer St.; right to Hidalgo through Plaza del Carmen; left to Bilibid Viejo through Gil Puyat; left to JP de Guzman St.; right to Hidalgo St.; and left to Quezon Boulevard.
From Quezon Boulevard, the image of the Black Nazarene will turn right to Palanca St. under Quezon Bridge and turn right to Villalobos through Plaza Miranda and then to Quiapo Church.
Some 27,000 devotees lined up for the Pahalik or kissing of the Nazarene’s feet at the Quirino Grandstand as of 4 p.m. yesterday, according to the Manila Police District.
Queenie Cerbito, 19, who is joining the procession for the first time, yesterday said she hoped the police barricade would instill discipline among the devotees.
“It would be better so that people will follow, to be more orderly and so that no one will get hurt,” she said.
But longtime devotees Alvin Moncada and Joel Parales do not think an “andas wall” would be able to stop the devotees from reaching the image and fulfilling their annual panata or religious vow.
“The police would not be able to contain the crowd, what with the sheer number of people tomorrow,” said Parales.
“Police should just be outside securing the event from those with criminal intent,” added Moncada.
Gun ban in effect
All permits to carry firearms outside of residence in Manila were suspended on Tuesday as part of security measures for today’s procession.
Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa issued the suspension order which became effective last Tuesday at 8 a.m. and will last until 8 a.m. Friday.
Only police officers, soldiers and personnel from other law enforcement agencies who are performing official duties and in proper uniform are allowed to carry firearms.
Around 1,065 policemen will handle venue and crowd control while 1,206 lawmen will be stationed at Quiapo Church.
Año said the rest will secure the procession route from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church. Ten fire trucks and three water assets are on standby to respond to any untoward incident.
To prevent lawless elements from carrying out attacks, cellphone signals were shut down in Quiapo, Manila and along the procession route yesterday.
Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, acting director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said cell sites in parts of Pasay, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, Malabon, Caloocan and Quezon City near the procession route will also be turned off.
However, Sinas clarified they have not monitored any specific threat related to the procession.
Land and sea assistance
On the waterways in and aropund Manila, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Captain Armand Balilo said that a “no sail zone policy” will be implemented at the back of the Quirino Grandstand and at all the bridges where the image of the Black Nazarene will be paraded as part of security measures.
Aside from the no sail zone policy, Balilo said that they will also deploy K9 units, quick response teams, medical groups and force multipliers from the PCG auxiliary along with 271 personnel and 36 floating assets.
The PCG will deploy personnel and floating assets at the Quiapo Church, along Ayala Bridge and at the Quirino Grandstand where most of the events for the Traslacion will be held.
Balilo said they have deployed multi-role response vessels and fast patrol boats along with some small craft, including high-speed boats, rigid hull inflatable boats and rubber boats.
On land, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has deployed emergency medical teams that will assist devotees.
In a statement, PRC chairman Sen. Richard Gordon said they have set up emergency medical units at the National Museum of Anthropology and an advanced medical post at the Apolinario Mabini Elementary School.
Aside from this, the PRC also set up 13 first aid stations with welfare desks. They will be manned by volunteers who are trained to respond to any emergency. These first aid stations will be positioned at the Aquino monument, Round Table (Manila City Hall), National Museum, Philippine Normal University, Natividad Lopez Street, P. Casal Street, Nepomuceno Street, San Sebastian, Quiapo bridge and near the Quiapo Church.
The PRC has also deployed 51 ambulances for the duration of the procession, while three rescue boats, an amphibian and rescue vehicles will be available to address emergency cases.
The agency has coordinated with 11 nearby hospitals that will accommodate patients needing further medical assistance.
Fair weather expected
Fair weather will prevail in Metro Manila during the Traslacion today.
Metro Manila will have party cloudy to cloudy skies with chances of passing light rains due to the northeast monsoon, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather division chief Esperanza Cayanan said.
The temperature in the metropolis will range from 23 to 31 degrees Celsius, she added. – With Emmanuel Tupas, Sheila Crisostomo, Helen Flores, Marc JaysonCayabyab