Black Nazarene's Traslacion crowd nears 700,000 by midday

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January 9, 2026 | 4:32pm

MANILA, Philippines — The number of devotees attending the annual Traslacion of the Black Nazarene was nearing 700,000 by midday Friday, according to officials from Quiapo Church.

The Quiapo Church Command Post said that as of 12 p.m., an estimated 487,000 people were at Ayala Boulevard, 194,600 in Quiapo, and 50 at the Quirino Grandstand.

A separate update from the Manila Public Information Office placed the number of participants at more than 192,000, showing only slight variation from church tallies.

As of 1 p.m., the image of the Black Nazarene was reported along Carlos Palanca Street.

Procession underway since dawn

The procession began before dawn at the Quirino Grandstand, with hundreds of thousands of devotees making the long walk as the image was returned to Quiapo Church.

Carlos Palanca Street is among the final major points before the procession reaches the basilica.

Authorities expect more devotees to join the event as the day progresses, with attendance in past years reaching into the millions.

During the 2025 Traslacion, Quiapo Church officials said the celebration drew 8.12 million devotees. — With reports from Ian Laqui