‘Pahalik’ draws thousands
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2019 11:11:07 +0000
A DEVOTEE kisses the foot of the image of the Black Nazarene dur¬ing the traditional ‘Pahalik’ at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. (Czar Dancel)
THOUSANDS have turned out for the “Pahalik,” a prelude to the Black Nazarene procession set today in Manila.
Held at the Quirino Grandstand, the “Pahalik” is a less exhausting alternative to the procession, an annual ritual that draws millions of devotees on the streets.
People from all walks of life waited in line to get a chance to plant a kiss or touch the dark-skinned image of Jesus Christ.
Some of them have camped out days before at Luneta Park while many endured the long queue.
One of them is 58-year-old Carlos Pascua who traveled from San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan and lined up for hours for the “Pahalik” yesterday.
Pascua said he has been a devotee since in his 30s.
“Nung 39 years old ako, tinatrangkaso ako noon araw araw tapos niyaya ako ng mga kaibigan ko na pumunta sa Pahalik. Noong mahawakan ko si Nazareno hiniling ko na sana gumaling ako,” he said.
Now 58 years old, Pascua said that he joined the traditional “Pahalik” not to ask for grace but to thank for the blessings he has received, among them his own house and business.
Since then, he said he never stopped his adoration of the Black Nazarene by joining the procession and the “Pahalik.”
“But I stopped asking God for favors. Now, I am here to give Him thanks because He already gave me everything,” he said.
After kissing and wiping the feet of the image of the Black Nazarene, Pascua said he will spend the night at the Quirino Grandstand and attend the dawn mass.
He said he would still join the crowd of devotees trying to touch the Black Nazarene in the grand procession tomorrow.
The crowd gathered for the “Pahalik” reached an estimated 16,350 at 2 p.m., according to the Manila Police District (MPD).
MPD chief Vicente Danao Jr. said strict security measures are in place to secure the safety of the devotees.
Danao said at least 7,000 police officers will be on standby during the procession. He said they expect at least three million people to join the event. Last year, 1.1 million devotees attended Pahalik.
The Black Nazarene image was brought to Quirino Grandstand at around 4:30 a.m. and the Pahalik started at around 6 a.m. (Erma Edera)