AS expected, a sea of devotees, many of them unshod, joined the yearly procession of the Black Nazarene on Wednesday, but authorities said that the number of participants this year was greatly reduced.

Officials had expected eight million to nine million devotees to join the procession, but police said that only about 500,000 people converged at the Rizal Park, where the image of the procession started.

The number of devotees swelled to a million as the parade weaved its way to Quiapo Church, but the number was still relatively small when compared to the past years’ figures of six million to eight million devotees.

Fifty-seven-year-old Alex Batuigas said that there could be more people who went to the feast, but the procession participants seemed fewer because old devotees and those carrying children were advised not to join the procession.

“Mas marami ngang tao ngayon kumpara nung isang taon. Maraming mga bagong grupo at kabataan. Sila yung andoon sa prusisyon, kaming mga dati na andito na lang sa labas kasi matanda na kami, kahit gustuhin man naming, hindi na kaya [There are a lot of people now compared to last year.

There are new groups and a lot of youth joined the procession. They (youth) are the ones in the procession, but we, the older ones, are just here watching. Even if we want to join the procession, we are already old and we can’t do it anymore],” Batuigas explained.

Another devotee, Janet Fajardo, 47, told The Manila Times that she also used to join the procession but admitted that she already stopped since last year.

 “Hindi ko na kaya. Masyadong maraming tao eh. Andito na lang kami, mag-attend ng misa at mag novena dito. Pero hindi ko na kaya yung lalakad kasi mainit [I can’t do it anymore. There are a lot people. My family and I will just stay here (vigil area), hear the Mass and do our novena here. I can no longer join the procession because I can no longer tolerate the heat]” Fajardo explained.

Traffic and injuries
As early as 7 a.m., vehicles plying Manila’s main thoroughfares were stalled in traffic jams.|

Since the roads in the procession route were closed to traffic, public and private vehicles had to find alternate routes. Some commuters working in the Manila area, who still wanted to reach their respective offices in time, had to walk.

“Hindi na gumagalaw eh. Lalakarin ko na lang, wala naman akong magagawa [It’s not moving. I’ll just walk since I can’t do anything about it],” an irate commuter, Carlo Chavez, said.

Meanwhile, the number of injured devotees also reached over 100 a few hours after the procession started.

Philippine Red Cross Operation Commander Rommel Lozada said that as of 6 p.m., the Red Cross treated 1,428 people.

Most cases involved difficulty in breathing and minor wounds.

Children and elderly
Despite the Department of Health’s advice that children and elderly people refrain from going to the procession, a lot of children and elderly people still participated in the annual feast.

As early as 3 a.m. on Wednesday, parents with small children prepared for the procession.
Some parents also allowed their young children to walk barefoot during the procession.

Truckloads of trash
Despite the ban from the Manila City hall, food vendors still penetrated the Quirino Grandstand and sold food to devotees.

Piles of trash covered roads in Manila, even before the start of the procession. Most of the trash were plastic wrappers.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino said that over 20 truckloads of trash were taken from the Grandstand and other areas where the procession passed.

Morning Mass
At the break of dawn, Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle conducted a Mass before the procession started.

Tagle made subtle hit on the Reproductive Health law, saying that public funds that could have been used to feed and educate people is being used to kill instead.


With reports from Ruben D. Manahan 4th and Johanna M. Sampan