MANILA – The Catholic Church has yet to release an official count of devotees who attended this year’s Traslacion, but the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) reported that 526 individuals sought medical assistance during the Feast of Jesus Nazareno on Thursday, January 9, 2025.
As of 4 p.m., the PRC had provided care to 223 people for vital sign checks. Additionally, 267 devotees sustained minor injuries, including abrasions, sprains, puncture wounds, burns, and sore throats. Some also reported breathing difficulties, chest pains, headaches, dizziness, and high blood pressure.
Eight individuals exhibited more serious symptoms, such as dizziness with blurry vision, nausea, and severe difficulty breathing. These patients were transported to nearby medical facilities, including the PRC Emergency Field Hospital, Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, and the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital.
In addition to medical care, 115 individuals received welfare assistance, including psychosocial support and referrals.
The PRC deployed over 1,000 volunteers, 20 ambulances, and 18 first aid stations to ensure the safety and well-being of participants.
Thousands of uniformed personnel were also deployed for crowd control during the historic Traslacion, though the sea of humanity often threatened to break their cordon.
The Misa Mayor, celebrated by Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula at the Quirino Grandstand, opened the annual religious event, which culminated in the iconic Traslacion procession — considered one of the world’s greatest religious events centered around the Poong Hesus Nazareno.
Spiritual ‘Dungaw’
Meanwhile, thousands of devotees gathered at the Minor Basilica of San Sebastian on Thursday (January 9, 2025) to participate in the deeply spiritual Dungaw — a solemn tradition that unites the images of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel de San Sebastian and Jesus Nazareno.
The andas (carriage) bearing the life-sized ebony statue of Jesus Nazareno arrived at the basilica at approximately 5:45 p.m., prompting the crowd to erupt in joyous shouts of “Viva Nazareno.”
At the same time, the image of Nuestra Señora del Carmen de San Sebastian appeared from the church’s iconic red and yellow balcony, creating a poignant moment of connection and reverence between the two sacred figures.
After this heartfelt exchange, devotees united in prayer, reciting the Lord’s Prayer — a tradition reinstated in 2014 following the revival of the Dungaw during the Traslacion procession.
The Dungaw, also known as La Mirata, is a significant moment during the Traslacion. It marks the only scheduled stop of the procession and holds deep spiritual meaning for the faithful.
In contrast to 2024, when the image of Jesus Nazareno arrived at San Sebastian Basilica earlier, at 2:52 p.m., this year’s timing was slightly adjusted.
The San Sebastian Basilica Foundation emphasized that the Dungaw is not a reenactment of the biblical meeting between Mary and Jesus on the road to Calvary, as some may believe. Rather, it is a symbolic expression of religious reverence and mutual respect between the two revered figures, often referred to as the King and Queen of Quiapo.
The Jesus Nazareno procession began at 4:41 a.m. from the Quirino Grandstand on Thursday, drawing a massive crowd of devotees who accompanied the image in prayer and song throughout the day.
As of this posting, the Church has not yet issued an official count of attendees but initially estimated a crowd of more than six million, similar to last year’s turnout.
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