Filipino Roman Catholic devotees jostle to get the rope that pulls the carriage of the Black Nazarene during a raucous procession to celebrate its feast day Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in Manila, Philippines. A mammoth crowd of mostly barefoot Filipino Catholics prayed for peace in the increasingly volatile Middle East at the start Thursday of an annual procession of a centuries-old black statue of Jesus Christ in one of Asia’s biggest religious events. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
MANILA, Philippines – The Traslacion or procession of the Black Nazarene image is moving faster as compared to last year, with the andas or the carriage bearing the image moving past Carlos Palanca Street by 9:30 a.m. of Thursday, January 9.
It took a shorter time for the procession to cross the Pasig River this year, as compared to last year when the andas was just making its approach to the Jones Bridge at 9:30 a.m. The procession got past Carlos Palanca Street by around noon last year.
For this year’s Traslacion, the procession crossed the Pasig River at the Ayala Bridge, which meant a shorter trip overall.
Halving the procession time is one of the goals of the National Capital Region Police Office, as acting director Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas said it would lessen the risks of possible criminal and terrorist acts.
The Traslacion has been known for gathering millions of Catholic devotees, with the procession from the Quirino Grandstand to the Quiapo Church usually lasting more than 20 hours.