[ad_1]
(ARCHIVE) The chaos that accompanied the beginning of the past Translations was absent at this year’s farewell at the Quirino Tribune on January 9, 2018, as the devotees of the Black Nazarene were more organized and peaceful, according to Rev. P Douglas Badong of Quiapo Church.
MANILA, Philippines – Each year the Traslación, or the great annual image procession of the Black Nazarene, draws crowds of barefoot devotees hoping to put a touch on the revered image and receive a miracle.
However, for this year, Manila city government and church officials have decided that the grand procession will not advance due to the continuing threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Likewise, traditional rituals such as “pahalik” (kissing the image of the Black Nazarene) are replaced by “pagpupugay” (homage) and “pagtanaw” (viewing the image) to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID -19) among devotees
According to Alex Irasga, head of the Traslación working committee, instead of having the annual procession, there will be a total of 15 masses throughout the day.
However, only 400 people will be accommodated per mass.
To give a detailed look at how different this year’s Feast of the Black Nazarene celebration is to the festivities held in 2018, 2019, and 2020, here are a few things that happened during previous editions of the Translation:
2018
On January 9, 2018, the “andas” or carriage of the Black Nazarene began to advance little by little from the Quirino Tribune at 5:07 in the morning. After 10 pm, the image of the Black Nazarene returned home to the Quiapo Church in Plaza Miranda.
According to police estimates, around 4.5 million devotees attended the Transfer, 2 million more than the number of devotees who attended in 2017.
The Manila Police District (MPD) deployed at least 7,000 people for the procession, with around 2,500 securing the 363,000 devotees at the Quirino Tribune.
At the end of the festivities, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) said more than 800 devotees were injured during the procession.
Data from the People’s Republic of China also showed that a total of 708 devotees suffered minor medical cases (dizziness, lacerations, abrasion, vomiting, toothache, body pain, fatigue, abdominal pain, and sprain), while 127 suffered serious injuries ( difficulty breathing, fainting, weakness, seizures and fractures).
Seven patients were taken to nearby hospitals, including a 17-year-old boy who suffered a spinal and neck injury after falling off the litter.
The MPD’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit also reported that a 51-year-old devotee attending the Transfer died of a heart attack.
2019
In 2019, the Translation ended an hour earlier than the previous year. After more than 21 hours since the procession began around 5:08 a.m., the image of the Black Nazarene arrived at the Quiapo Church after 2 a.m. on January 10.
The then director of the Police Office of the National Capital Region (NCRPO), Guillermo Eleazar, said that around 4 million devotees joined the activities of the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
In 2019, around 7,200 policemen were deployed to ensure the safety of the devotees.
Eleazar also noted that the party was generally peaceful with only one pickpocket incident reported.
However, 12 hours after the andas left the Quirino Tribune, a devotee and other participants were seen fist fighting alongside the procession near Vergara Street.
Meanwhile, PRC registered 781 devotees who received medical assistance. Of the sum, 545 people had their blood pressure checked, 224 suffered minor ailments such as difficulty breathing, fainting, punctures, abrasions, bruises, toothache, sprains, nosebleeds, among others.
Only eight patients required major treatments due to lacerations, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
The Relocation left 43 trucks laden with garbage on the streets of Manila, the Manila Metropolitan Development Authority (MMDA) said.
2020
Last year’s Translation was, in many ways, different from previous celebrations.
Days before the Transfer, Bishop Rector of the Quiapo Church. Hernando Coronel announced that instead of passing through the Jones Bridge, the andas and the devotees will cross the Pasig River using the Ayala Bridge.
According to Coronel, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had recommended that the Traslación cross the Ayala Bridge as it was the safest and longest route for the one-day procession.
In an attempt to prevent the fervent throng of devotees from blocking the front and sides of the carriage, more than 2,000 police officers acted as a massive “wall of litter”, surrounding the revered icon.
However, the devotees expressed their frustration at the increase in police deployment and the so-called “wall of litter”. Devotees complained that the barricade deprived them of the opportunity to fulfill their annual devotion.
It was also during this year that the Human Rights Commission (HRC) condemned the “unnecessary force” used by the police during the procession.
This stems from an incident in which a Southern Police District chief allegedly took the cell phone of veteran GMA reporter Jun Veneración while documenting a commotion between police officers and devotees of the Black Nazarene.
On the other hand, as the crowd of devotees clamored to touch the religious image of the Black Nazarene, a couple got engaged amid the chaos.
According to a tweet from the Manila Public Information Office (MPIO), Kim Noel Yamat said that he proposed to his girlfriend Mary Joie Flores during the Translation, as they are both devotees of the Black Nazarene.
The 2020 Traslación finished with a record time of 16 1/2 hours. It started at the Quirino Tribune around 4:20 a.m., earlier than usual, and arrived at the Quiapo Church around 8:50 p.m.
The People’s Republic of China served a total of 1,090 people during the Relocation. Of those treated, 15 were transferred to nearby hospitals due to hypertension, fracture or loss of consciousness.
Another 26 major cases assisted by PRC staff and volunteers complained of shortness of breath, head injury, laceration, and elevated blood pressure.
The Manila Department of Public Services collected 68 loaded trucks or 330 tons of garbage after the event. The MPIO noted that the number was relatively lower than last year’s record of 99 trucks or 387.4 tons.
RELATED STORY
EXPLANATOR: Why is the annual celebration of the Black Nazarene called a feast?
/ MUF
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
[ad_2]
