Thousands of devotees joining the 2024 Traslacion, or the feast of the Black Nazarene gather at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park on Jan. 9, 2023. (Photo by FAITH ARGOSINO / INQUIRER.net)
MANILA, Philippines — Thousands of devotees who plan to join this year’s Traslacion, or the procession of the life-size image of the Black Nazarene to the Quiapo Church, continued to arrive at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park.
As of 10:45 p.m. on Monday, the crowd estimate within the area has climbed to 313,450 according to the Manila Police District (MPD).
Earlier, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), along with the MPD and the city government, assured the public of a secure and safe feast as it planned to deploy over 15,000 personnel during the peak of the activity on Jan. 9 and 10.
Police expect an estimated crowd of 2.3 million devotees who will return for the traditional Traslacion after it was suspended for three consecutive years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thousands of devotees at the “Pahalik” of the Black Nazarene at Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park on Jan. 9, 2023z. (Photo by FAITH ARGOSINO / INQUIRER.net)
They also reminded the public that “no vendors are allowed within the vicinity of Quiapo Church; and devotees are not allowed to wear hoodie jacket, caps, use of backpacks, water bottle, umbrella and raincoats, firecrackers or pyrotechnics, deadly or bladed weapons, and intoxicated people are not allowed to join the procession.”
Authorities will likewise implement a “no-fly zone and no drone zone” within the vicinity of Quirino Grandstand and Quiapo Church as well as routes of the procession from Jan. 7 to 10, while a “no sail zone” at the vicinity waters of South Harbor, Manila (near Quirino Grandstand) and Pasig River from 12 a.m. on Jan. 6 to 12 a.m. on Jan. 10.