The Black Nazarene of Quiapo
SURVIVOR’S TALES
The Recollect friars transported the image of the Black Nazarene from Mexico to the Philippines in the 17th century.
It was said that a fire broke out on the ship carrying the image and the Nazarene was charred, hence the color.
The image also survived fires that engulfed Quiapo Church in 1791 and 1929, the great earthquakes of 1645 and 1863, and the 1945 bombing of Manila during World War II.
For the Jan. 9 procession, the image is placed on a carroza that is pulled using two 50-meter-long ropes and is brought to various barangays in the Quiapo district.
VITAL STATS
Article continues after this advertisementThe image is about 5 feet in height and weighs around 50 kilos.
Article continues after this advertisementHAIR AND BODY
The image is made of wood, with a wig made of dyed abaca or jusi and a golden crown of thorns.
CALVARY-BOUND
The cross is about about 8 feet long
DRESS DONORS The image is said to have a wardrobe change every month, courtesy of the devotees.
WARDROBE The Black Nazarene is dressed in a maroon tunic with golden yellow designs and white lace trimmings on the collar and cuffs. It also wears a gold-plated belt with the name “Jesus Nazareno” embossed on it.
TWO IN ONE The image paraded every Jan. 9 is actually a hybrid: It has body of the original sculpture (now encased in steel for protection) and the head of a replica created by Filipino sculptor Gener Manlaqui.
Source: Inquirer Archives, Parish of Saint John the Baptist
9.6 Million
Number of devotees who attended the Black Nazarene’s grand procession in 2013, the biggest in history
22
Hours it took for the procession to be completed in 2012, the longest in history
6,100
Number of policemen to be deployed this year to secure the route of the procession and surrounding areas
2,000
Number of personnel, mostly traffic marshals and street sweepers, which the MMDA will deploy for the feast this year
1,400
Number of people treated on-site by the Philippine Red Cross for high blood pressure, dizziness, chest pains, breathing problems, vomiting and minor injuries during the 2013 procession
