Bulacan Nazarene devotees to hold fluvial procession

HAGONOY, Bulacan, Philippines  – Like their counterparts in Quiapo, hundreds of devotees of the Black Nazarene in this coastal town are also observing the annual feast today.

They will hold a fluvial procession of a life-size image of the Black Nazarene along the Hagonoy River, the highlight of the annual feast, aside from prayers and a Mass.

For over 20 years, devotee Sally Montehermoso said participants in the annual feast here has steadily grown.

The festivities start with a Mass at the Black Nazarene Chapel near the Halang River in Sitio Parong-Parong, Barangay San Agustin here.

It is followed by a burst of kuwitis or skyrockets as the image of the Black Nazarene is moved from the chapel to a kasko or large boat with over 40 devotees on board. The kasko is pulled by a motorboat and followed by other motorboats with hundreds of other devotees on board.

The fluvial parade usually takes about two hours, as it goes through the five-kilometer stretch of the river, after which the devotees go for lunch.

According to Montehermoso, local devotees of the Black Nazarene find it practical to join the annual feast here than in Quiapo, Manila.

“Most of them are from Bulacan and nearby provinces and they told us that it’s practical to be here than in Manila because they don’t have to go through all those traffic,” she said.

Besides, devotees here believe that wherever they are, God can hear their prayers.

Carlito Magallanes started out with his joining a form of thanksgiving as he was healed from an injury he suffered as a boy. But today, he is praying for his son who is suffering from a bone anomaly.

Other devotees have their respective prayers, but choose to keep these between them and God.