Lacuna on Nazarene devotees walking barefoot: ‘It’s safer, it avoids injuries’

The carriage carrying the Black Nazarene image passes by Vergara Street in Quiapo, Manila, around 10:30 a.m. on January 9 for the 2024 Traslacion.(Photo from FAYE ORELLANA)

MANILA, Philippines — As an act of penance, a lot of Black Nazarene devotees participate in the annual Traslacion — barefooted.

This event is the hours-long trip led by the Black Nazarene statue from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church in Manila which resumes on Tuesday (January 9) after a three-year break.

Aside from it being a form of self-punishment, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said there is science behind walking barefoot around the streets of Quiapo during the procession.

“Mas safe po siya (walking barefoot) as compared kung naka-footwear po sila,” Lacuna said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel’s Headstart on Tuesday.

(Walking barefoot is safer than wearing any footwear.)

“Kasi po, magkakatapak po sila when they push each other,” she observed.

(Because, they will step on other people’s feet when they push each other.)

Mas masakit po para sa katabi nila ‘pag natapakan po sila, mga naka-rubber shoes or may suot-suot po sila, as compared po kung barefoot sila,” she explained.

(It will be more hurtful for the persons beside them if the feet are stepped on, if they are wearing rubber shoes or other footwear, as compared to being barefooted.)

As to the possibility of devotees getting injured due to walking barefoot, Lacuna said they have conducted clearing operations to remove obstructions from the streets.

“Talagang na-clear po namin ‘yong area na pagdadaanan po no’ng Traslacion. So hopefully, mas mami-minimize po natin ‘yong kung anumang aksidente,” she said.

(We really cleared the roads that would be used during the Traslacion, so hopefully we would minimize accidents.)

“So far, very minimal po talaga ang reported occurrence of any accidents. Yung mga hinihimatay, most probably […] because umulan po,” she said.

(So far, reports about the occurrence of any accidents are very minimal. Those who are collapsing, probably it’s because it rained.)

“Hanggang kaninang madaling-araw po, naglibot ang amin pong mga employees, ‘yon atin pong mga kawani ng local government, to make sure na safe po ‘yong dadaanan ng atin pong mga devotees,” she added.

(At dawn, officers from local government went around to make sure that the route of the Traslacion would be safe for our devotees.)

Walking barefoot has been a tradition for Black Nazarene devotees — so much so that in 2017, a church official asked participants to trim their toenails.

The request was made so that other devotees would not suffer cuts or lacerations during the procession.

Traslacion resumes in 2024 after a three-year postponement due to restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.