Iglesia ni Cristo event drew 100,000; guests included Pacquiao

BOCAUE, Bulacan—Boxing champ Manny Pacquiao slipped in and out of the packed Philippine Arena on Saturday night, shortly before Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) executive minister Eduardo Manalo was scheduled to address his church’s members over two giant screens here.

Pacquiao was one of several celebrities and politicians who joined what police estimated to be 100,000 INC members, as well as invited persons who were not of their faith, for the Grand Evangelical Mission that took place here and in other venues outside Bulacan.

The evangelical mission allowed the members of the politically influential INC to bring uninitiated guests to a church session, which imparted the philosophies of their religion.

Early in the morning, church members and their guests attended a prayer meeting inside the arena. Police and North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) officials said they expected traffic to build up on the northbound lane of the expressway from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for the INC’s main program.

Video-conferencing app

As of 3 p.m., Senior Supt. Ferdinand Divina, Bulacan police director, said as many as 65,000 people had assembled at the compound.

Manalo’s message was delivered via video-conferencing applications to 2,000 INC worship sites, including its churches abroad, the leaders of the religious group said here. Despite the time difference, the message was broadcast at 7 p.m., Manila time.

The domed arena, which seats 55,000, was packed. Monoblock chairs were brought in to accommodate more people.

People cheered when Manalo took the stage.

Despite the volume of people, traffic on the NLEx remained smooth when delegates drove to the INC compound at Ciudad de Victoria.

Traffic slowed toward late afternoon, but did not build up to the scale like last July’s so-called “carmageddon,” when some participants of the INC’s foundation day celebration blocked traffic by parking on three NLEx lanes.

Grandest effort

Paul Bobares, a church member who traveled from Quezon City, said the Saturday event was the grandest yet of the church’s efforts to expand its membership. “If we are able to bring into the church one out of 10 people, that is not enough. Our task and responsibility is to bring more people to the church,” he said.

To keep the ceremonies solemn, people were directed not to eat, drink or use their mobile phones inside the arena.

The INC members and their guests began arriving in droves in the afternoon on board buses, jeepneys and private vehicles.

Dr. Ruel Bertuben, who oversaw the INC medical team for the event, said 23 doctors and more than a hundred paramedics were stationed at the arena compound.

A total of 160 traffic enforcers were deployed to augment personnel from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Bulacan police.