Moreno praises discipline of Manileños during Black Nazarene feast

Black Nazarene devotees on Plaza Miranda in front of the Quiapo Church. (Photo from Manila Public Information Office)

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno praised residents of the national capital for complying with health rules on Saturday during the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene.

“Be proud of yourselves. I am proud of you for showing self-discipline. Let’s show this to the world,” Moreno said, speaking partly in Filipino, during a live broadcast of the yearly event.

He urged participants of the Traslacion to share the recorded broadcast to show everyone — particularly to those who could not seem to accept that Manileños could be disciplined.

But he added: “Be careful. It’s not yet over. Please, please, this striving [to observe health protocols] is not for us [officials] but for your safety.”

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Moreno also acknowledged local authorities for helping enforce social distancing during the feast.

“No one has ever done this. I’ve been here for 22 years. It never happened. Congratulations to you,” Moreno said, reacting to a video of devotees following social distancing.

As of 10 p.m., over 7,800 people were still in Quiapo to attend Masses offered by the church.

This is the first time that Traslacion was canceled to prevent a surge of coronavirus disease among attendees of the celebration. Last year, millions of devotees flock to Manila streets to witness the image of Black Nazarene.

READ: Number of Black Nazarene devotees remain at 10k