Nazareno 2026: Several devotees faint, attended to amid Traslacion

MANILA, Philippines -A number of Jesus Nazarene devotees fainted while taking part in the “Traslacion” Friday evening.

The incidents occurred past 8 p.m. as the Andas carrying the image of the Jesus Nazarene inched its way to Vergara Street.

The devotees who fainted were carried away from the crowd by first responders and volunteers, and were taken to nearby first-aid and medical stations.

In an advisory around 8 p.m. the Department of Health said it has already recorded 815 “significant monitored incidents.”

As of posting time, the Andas is still at Vergara Street, en route to the Minor Basilica of San Sebastian for traditional “Dungaw.”

The Dungaw is one of the most awaited parts of the Traslacion procession, as it features a solemn moment between the images of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel de San Sebastian and Jesus Nazareno.

For comparison, the Dungaw in 2025 commenced at 5:45 p.m. Back then, it still took the Andas four to five hours to reach the basilica from Vergara St.

The Quiapo Church Command Center earlier said that it is already expecting the procession to take over 21 hours this year.

As of 8 p.m., the command center has so far estimated that 1,076,800 devotees joined in the Feast of the Jesus Nazarene.

Around 256,800 were recorded in the vicinity of the Quiapo Church, while the other 820,000 joined the “Traslacion.” /gsg