MANILA, Philippines — More than eight million devotees participated in the 2025 Feast of Jesus Nazareno, with about four million of them joining the procession on Thursday, Quiapo Church spokesman Fr. Robert Arellano said yesterday.
Organizers said Thursday’s Traslacion, which followed a 5.8-kilometer route, was also one of the longest processions in recent years, lasting 20 hours, 45 minutes and four seconds.
It began at 4:40 a.m. of Jan. 9 and concluded at 1:26 a.m. the following day.
According to the Nazareno Operations Center, the total number of attendees across various events from Jan. 2 to 10 totaled 8,124,050. The estimate included the 1,290,590 people at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, 387,010 in the Central area and 6,446,450 at Quiapo Church.
Despite challenges, including two snapped ropes and a dense crowd, the image of the Nazarene safely returned to Quiapo Church.
The Hijos del Nazareno brotherhood manually pushed the carriage after the rope broke for the second time during the traditional “Dungaw” at San Sebastian Church. The rope first broke as the image was traversing Ayala Bridge.
Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel assisted in steering the carriage of Jesus Nazareno through the final stretch, with the Manila Police District reporting no serious injuries or untoward incidents.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said that although there were “minor” tensions as some devotees attempted to breach security barricades, police acted swiftly and were able to diffuse the situation.
“The successful and peaceful conduct of Traslacion 2025 reflects the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the PNP. They endured long hours and challenging conditions to protect the millions of devotees attending this sacred event,” Marbil said in a statement.
At least 14,474 police officers and personnel from other security forces and other government agencies secured the Traslacion.
“The seamless teamwork, strategic planning and discipline displayed by our personnel were crucial to the success of this event,” Marbil said as he commended police officers who spent long hours to ensure the safety of people participating in the procession.
“Their sacrifices ensure that millions of devotees can express their faith safely and peacefully,” he said.
The Nazarene’s bulletproof carriage this year featured upgrades, including a tempered glass sunroof, improved ventilation and reinforced steel protections.
However, modifications to discourage devotees from climbing onto the carriage proved ineffective, as many ignored the no-climbing rule.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) reported having assisted 917 people during the event, with 446 undergoing vital signs monitoring and 412 treated for minor injuries.
Nine major cases were recorded and 30 people were transported to hospitals.
The PRC distributed 1,070 liters of water to 2,880 people and provided welfare assistance to 131 attendees.
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuña ordered immediate cleanup operations along the Traslacion route, noting that a large volume of trash was left behind after the event.