Millions of devotees of the Black Nazarene try to get near the “miraculous” statue during the procession from Manila City Hall going to Jones bridge.
INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
“God’s miracle.”
This, according to Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada, was the reason no untoward incident happened during the Traslacion of the Black Nazarene on Monday.
Considered the biggest Catholic procession in the country, the Traslacion proceeded and ended peacefully after 22 hours despite reports of possible threats from terror groups.
“It’s a God’s miracle that no one was seriously hurt, no one died. No matter how excellent our preparations are, it is God’s doing that we’re able to hold the Traslacion safely and peacefully,” Estrada said in a statement on Tuesday.
READ: Black Nazarene back home safe despite terror threats
Estrada, who served as the event’s “hermano mayor,” praised the security preparations of the Manila Police District (MPD), the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) and other agencies and the cooperation of volunteers and devotees in making sure that no major incident would mar the procession.
MPD Director Chief Supt. Joel Coronel reported that no one died among the estimated 3.5 million devotees who participated in the procession.
“We have injuries but only minor ones, but the most important is that we have no [fatality] and that there were no crime incidents reported during the Traslacion,” Coronel said.
The Philippine Red Cross said that as of 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, it had treated 2,235 patients. Most cases were considered minor, but the PRC also responded to a pregnant woman who felt dizzy and three more women who suffered fractures after falling from the “andas.”
Two devotees died in last year’s procession.
READ: ‘Faster’ Nazarene procession leaves 2 dead
Trash on Traslacion’s path
While the procession was generally peaceful, it was not very clean.
The Manila City Hall reported that close to 70 tons of garbage were collected in the areas passed by the cross-bearing image of Jesus Christ from Monday until Tuesday morning. This was almost double the amount of trash collected from last year’s Traslacion.
Estrada earlier appealed to the devotees to be mindful of their garbage./rga
READ: Nazarene devotees told: Keep your trash; don’t jump into Pasig River