Shorter route among big changes in Traslacion
Credit to Author: Darwin Pesco| Date: Fri, 03 Jan 2020 16:16:13 +0000
The route of the procession will be shorter, and devotees will not be allowed to clamber up the front of the carriage carrying the image of the Black Nazarene.
These were among the changes agreed on by the police and the Catholic Church for the Traslacion on January 9.
The Traslacion is the traditional procession transferring the Nazarene from the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park to Quiapo Church in the heart of Manila.
For hundreds of thousands of the Nazarene’s worshippers, the Traslacion is the time for an outpouring of faith. Barefoot, they follow the venerated image as it slowly navigates a sea of humanity.
It is not uncommon for the procession to last through the night and the early hours of the following day.
Last year, the procession lasted for 21 hours.
This year, changes have been introduced to increase the pace of the procession, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, announced on Friday.
He said the changes were approved by the Church.
“We showed the plan and they approved it. We offered them a counter plan, and they approved it with some modifications,” Sinas told the reporters.
He noted that no devotee would be allowed to climb in front of the andas, the carriage of the Black Nazarene.
Devotees, however, could still climb the rear of the andas, he said.
“They could still climb in the back, but we will prevent them from going in front to avert blocking of road,” Sinas added.
He said the intention was not to change tradition but to maintain order and security during the event.
“It’s not taking away their wanting to go near the andas, but there would be chaos… What we only want is order,” Sinas said in English and Filipino.
He admitted that controlling the crowd, which usually tends to get out of hand, would be a challenge for the police.
Sinas himself would join the procession “to show our people that security is in place and for the police to see that the leadership of the NCRPO is joining the Traslacion.”
Ten thousand policemen would be guarding the event, and as many as 1,500 policemen with no firearms would be deployed on both sides of the procession, he said.
An earlier proposal was to prevent the devotees to even approach the Andas and for them to just throw towels to be blessed.
Philippine National Police Officer in Charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa pledged to donate 10,000 towels.
But priests rejected the idea, Sinas said.
As usual, phone signals will be jammed along the procession’s route.
The procession’s route has also been shortened to 6.14 kilometers as it will pass Ayala Bridge instead of Jones Bridge. Last year’s route was 6.19 km.
From Rizal Park, the Traslacion will cross P. Burgos Avenue, Finance Road, Ayala Boulevard and Palanca Street, then on to Quiapo Church.
Roads along the route would be closed beginning January 8 at 9 p.m. onwards, Sinas said.