Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna has directed the Manila Police District (MPD) and all concerned city government departments, bureaus and offices to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of the annual Feast of Sto. Niño celebrations on Sunday, particularly in Tondo and Pandacan.
Lacuna urged revelers to drink responsibly and avoid engaging in any fights as she requested MPD director Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay to deploy sufficient uniformed personnel, especially along the routes of the traditional procession, a highlight of the yearly celebration.
The lady mayor also directed the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau chief, Narciso Diokno III; Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head, Arnel Angeles; City Engineer Moises Alcantara; the Department of Public Services; and all city hospitals to be on alert and prepared for the festivities.
She advised motorists to check social media for announcements regarding rerouting schemes and road closures that will be implemented by the MPD and the Manila city government.
The Sto. Niño feast is a significant tradition among Filipino Catholics.
The Feast of the Sto. Niño, celebrated every third Sunday of January, is an annual tradition in Tondo where devotees carry statues and images of the Sto. Niño during a long procession in honor of the Holy Child Jesus.
In Pandacan, the celebration features the Buling-Buling Festival, where devotees carrying Sto. Niño replicas dance along the streets.
The Sto. Niño feast is a significant tradition among Filipino Catholics, marked by processions, ati-atihan (a colorful festival), street dancing, banner-waving, chants of “Viva, Sto. Nino!” and the holding of daylong masses.
With a history dating back over 500 years, it is believed that a fleet of five ships commanded by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan landed in Cebu, in the central Philippines, in 1519.
Historical accounts suggest that, in service to Spain, Magellan introduced Christianity and the Sto. Niño, an image of the baby Jesus Christ, to the Philippine natives. The image was presented to the Queen of Cebu for safekeeping.