Thousands of Catholic devotees filled the streets of Tondo before daybreak Sunday to celebrate the Feast of the Santo Niño, an annual tradition honoring the Child Jesus.

At least 7,500 people had gathered at the Minor Basilica and Archdiocesan Shrine of Santo Niño de Tondo by 1 p.m., according to the Manila City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

The festivities began with a dawn procession at 4 a.m., which saw more than 4,000 participants follow the Carroza Triunfal through the streets of the district.

The Manila celebration is part of a nationwide observance that includes the Sinulog Festival in Cebu City and the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan.

Church officials scheduled a total of 33 Fiesta Masses beginning Saturday afternoon and continuing hourly through 11 p.m. Sunday.

During a 3 a.m. Mass, guest priest Rev. Fr. Jason Alde urged parents to prioritize the upbringing of their children, referencing the popular Filipino song “Batang Bata Ka Pa.”

“We were given the opportunity to be parents; let us act like parents,” Alde said during his homily.

In Pandacan, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula led the Eucharistic celebration at the Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish. He challenged the faithful to remain resilient in the face of “painful and difficult truths,” citing that the Pandacan devotion remains strong five years after a 2020 fire destroyed the parish’s original wooden image.

The Tondo festivities also included the “Lakbayaw” last Saturday, a portmanteau of the Filipino words for “travel” and “dance.”

During the event, devotees carried various images of the Child Jesus while dancing and praying through the streets.

For many, the feast is a multi-generational commitment. Eight-year-old John Carl Moleta joined the dawn procession with his family, stating he prayed for everyone to have a “kind heart.”