SEA OF HUMANITY: Throngs of devotees at the Quirino Grandstand prepare minutes before the procession begins. INQUIRER.net / John Eric Mendoza
MANILA, Philippines — More than 6.5 million devotees joined the Feast of the Black Nazarene procession, roughly three times higher than the attendance expected by the local government of Manila.
The Quiapo Church Command Post said a total of 6,532,501 devotees joined the procession from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Initially, the Manila City government was expecting about two million devotees.
The carriage carrying the Black Nazarene departed from Quirino Grandstand at around 4:45 a.m.
READ: Nazarene starts return trip from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church
To date, the procession is now on its final stretch as it plied Quezon Boulevard.
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The annual procession is a reenactment of the 1787 Traslacion — literally means “solemn transfer” — of the image from its original shrine in Bagumbayan, the present Rizal Park, to the Quiapo Church.
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The original statue of the Black Nazarene was carved from mesquite wood by an unknown sculptor. It arrived in Manila from Mexico on May 31, 1606.
The image was partially destroyed in 1945 during the battle of Manila in the Second World War. A replica, which was made by a renowned saint carver Gener Manlaqui, used the original head of the image.