Wading into sea of veneration

The streets of Manila on 9 January were transformed into a living river of faith as the annual Traslacion, the solemn procession bearing the revered Jesus Nazareno, unfolded in one of its most monumental expressions yet.

The centuries-old tradition, deeply woven into Filipino culture, saw the dark wooden image of Jesus Nazareno carried on its ornate andas (carriage) from Quirino Grandstand at 4 a.m. on Friday and not returning to its home in the Quiapo Church until 10:50 a.m. the following morning — a record-breaking 30 hours and 50 minutes, the longest in the feast’s history.

An estimated 9.6-million devotees joined the journey, surpassing the previous year’s 8.1 million and swelling the crowds in maroon and yellow shirts.

They waved white towels emblazoned with the icon’s image, their chants of “Viva! Viva! Señor Nazareno!” echoing through the packed thoroughfares. Roads leading to Quiapo and along the route became an unbroken sea of humanity, where personal space vanished and collective devotion reigned.

Among the millions was a journalist assigned to cover the event — this writer. Dressed in his most comfortable clothes and armed with a press ID, he stepped into the throng, prepared for the grueling hours ahead.

In his college days, he had often visited Quiapo Church before exams or scholarship announcements, kneeling quietly among other petitioners, yet never quite identifying as a full devotee of the Nazarene.

This time, however, the author was immersed in the heart of it. The procession moved slower than anticipated. Waves of devotees continually converged on the carriage, attempting to climb aboard or touch the glass enclosure, halting progress at every turn.

A single one-kilometer stretch — from Finance Road through Ayala Boulevard and across Ayala Bridge — took more than six hours to traverse.

Earlier, as roads near the D. Jose LRT station were closed and the march edged toward the back of Quiapo Church, this writer found pockets of space that allowed him to stand upright — until the phone signal disappeared entirely, thanks to the security measures that included signal jamming and a no-fly zone enforced by the Philippine National Police.

By afternoon, the area around Quezon Bridge offered a fleeting respite. Where jeepneys and other traffic once roared, exhausted devotees, parents carrying children, seniors seeking relief, found a momentary safe vantage point to glimpse the Nazarene.

Camaraderie among devotees

Amid the press of bodies, unexpected acts of kindness emerged: men with tattooed arms and broad, imposing shoulders gently lifted children and women over barriers so they could see the icon.

In one touching moment, a young father passed his daughter onto the hands of strangers in the crowd, trusting them to hoist her high enough to behold the Nazarene as the andas rolled beneath the bridge. As the hours stretched on, the physical toll became undeniable.

Desperate to file his stories before deadline, the writer searched for a signal amid blocked paths.

He moved with the flow of the crowd, the air thick with the scent of sweat, sun, and unshakable belief. In the end, the miracles attributed to the Nazarene may remain a matter of personal faith and debate.

But what was undeniable — palpable in every strained step, every helping hand, every whispered prayer — was the enduring miracle of Filipino devotion itself: a culture of faith that persists, resilient even through exhaustion and hardship.