2 months ago
48
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
January 11, 2026 | 12:00am
Photo shows the situation in the vicinity of Quiapo Church in Manila as devotees await the return of the image of the Jesus Nazareno on January 9, 2026.
STAR / Mark Ernest Villeza
MANILA, Philippines — The leadership of Quiapo Church on Saturday vowed to institute changes in the celebration of the Feast of Jesus Nazareno, after the Traslacion took nearly 31 hours to complete.
Lay Religious Missionary Society (LRMS) Translacion 2027 spokesman Fr. Robert Arellano said a review will be done in light of the delays in the procession.
“We’re going to have an immediate evaluation. As we say, every year is a new experience, every year, we learn. That’s why we are recording these experiences to serve as instruments for future celebrations,” Arellano said.
He made the statement after the procession ended at 10:49 a.m. yesterday, 30 hours and 49 minutes after it started shortly before 4 a.m. on Friday, as well as the report that many were hurt and injured.
At least three people died during the celebration, while the death of photographer Itoh Son was not directly related to the procession.
Arellano attributed the delay in the procession to devotees blocking and climbing the carriage despite the ban.
“This time, despite the call of the Catholic Church on social media… that climbing on the andas is prohibited, we still have devotees who did not heed our call. This is also one of the obstacles to the speed of the Traslacion,” Arellano added.
However, the priest said that overall, no crimes were recorded during the Traslacion celebration.
“Generally, we have a zero crime rate. We have not reported any crime. There may be pushing, but this is normal during Traslacion. But in terms of crime, no incidents were reported,” Arellano said.
For his part, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Commission on Public Affairs executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano reminded devotees that God’s grace is not measured by the intensity of physical sacrifice or the length of the procession.
Secillano said it is important for devotees to understand the clear difference between true devotion and fanaticism, especially during the Traslacion in Quiapo.
Although he acknowledged the Filipinos’ sincere faith to Jesus Nazareno, he emphasized that it must be accompanied by caution, reason and holiness so as not to lead to excessive obsession that could cause danger.
The Quiapo Church said that at least 9.6 million devotees joined the procession.
Recommended
