MANILA, Philippine—Lars Ubaldo, a historian currently teaching at the De La Salle University, will be one of the estimated 8 million Black Nazarene devotees expected to join the “traslacion” procession carrying the Black Nazarene from Intramuros to the Minor Basilica in Quiapo, Manila, on Monday.
Despite having been motivated by academic reasons when he first went to the feast of the Black Nazarene, Ubaldo said that the “miracles” granted to him by joining the yearly procession have compelled him to join the procession as a devotion. He said that at first he wanted to study the core of the devotion people had to the Black Nazarene but that he eventually became a devotee himself.
Many devotees consider it taboo to divulge their prayers or wishes to others, he said. “Simpleng sasabihin at hindi ididitalye na guminhawa ang buhay dahil gumaling sa sakit, nagkatrabaho, buo ang pamilya,” he explained.
But Ubaldo disclosed that he has continued joining the procession for the past 15 years due to several miracles he believes were granted because of his devotion to the Black Nazarene.
He said he considers as miracles his father’s recovery after undergoing nephrectomy, his mother’s successful eye surgery, and his sister’s passing the medical board exam on her first try. “Siguro ito ’yong sinagot na hiling o para mas exotic—milagro.”
“Generally speaking, ang kahilingan ng mga namamanata ay para sa ibang tao kalimitan,” he further said, although he admitted that he had since made personal wishes to the Black Nazarene. “Eventually, personal na rin [ang] reason ko—maaliwalas o maginhawang buhay.”
The procession, seen by onlookers as unruly and fraught with dangers based on records of injuries and even deaths, is seen as “orderly” by the devotees, said Ubaldo, who explained that they had a “distinct vocabulary” for instructions as to movements.
Devotees would intone “agos [or] sabay sa agos” signalling devotees to “not resist the movement” of the rest of the group, the word “indayog” to tell others to “walk and sway in a coordinate manner,” the phrase “nasa balikat ang lubid” to instruct others to walk with the rope on their shoulder, “salang” which means “to join [others] in carrying the rope,” and “ocho [or] umuocho ang lubid” which tells devotees not to hold the rope.
But even while injuries have marred past feasts, some continue with unwavering devotion for the Black Nazarene because whether it grants miracles or not, those who finish each year’s procession describe the feeling they get as “nakakagaan ng loob.”
Luckily, Ubaldo has never been injured in all of those 15 years of being part of the traslacion despite trudging barefoot from the Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo. “Talagang nakayapak lahat ng sumasama. ‘Di pa naman na-iinjure sa awa ng Diyos [at] pinapasakay naman sa LRT, jeep o bus.”
He also observed the warmth of Quiapo residents to devotees whom he said would provide drinking water and sometimes, even food, to ease their hunger from the long walk. “Pati mga Muslim nagbibigay,” he said with amusement.
Like most devotees, Ubaldo said that he will continue to join the procession as long as his body permits.
“Sabi nga ng lahat ng namamanata, hanggang kaya ng katawan!”