MANILA, Philippines — While it takes almost a whole day for the Traslacion to be completed in previous years, there is a possibility that the “Andas” or the Black Nazarene carriage could be back inside the Quiapo Church earlier than expected this year.
The carriage appears to be moving faster, by approximately 30 minutes, compared to last year. The Andas crossed the Jones Bridge at 11:35 a.m. this year compared to 2018 when the procession was just nearing the area by noon.
This was a noticeable development even among devotees. According to several people who claimed to have attended the festivities for years, it usually takes time for the Traslacion to get over the Jones Bridge because of the difficulty of carrying the heavy carriage uphill.
As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the Andas was moving along Carlos Palanca Street, whereas last year, it left Plaza Sta. Cruz at 2:33 p.m.
Last year, the Black Nazarene statue entered the Quiapo Church at around 3:00 a.m. of the following day. Organizers of Traslacion 2019 predict the Ingress (or the return of the image to the church) to happen around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 10. /ee
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