#WalangPasok: Manila declares January 9 a special holiday
The City of Manila declared January 9, 2017 a special holiday to make way for the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
Photo taken by Denvie Balidoy, grabbed from flickr
In a report from Philstar.com, Manila City Tourism chief Flordeliza Villasenor said that classes and work at the capital are suspended due to the expected influx of devotees who will join the Traslacion.
An estimated 15 million devotees are expected to flock to the capital during the six-day celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene, including 2 million devotees who will take part in the Traslacion, one of the country’s largest religious practices.
A report from GMA News Online said that Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said the Manila Police District (MPD) would implement an incident command system to ensure participant’s safety and security during the hours-long procession.
“We have made all the proper preparations and final coordination with different agencies involved in Traslacion. We can say we are ready to deal with emergencies,” the mayor said.
The annual Traslacion, or the procession of the image of the Black Nazarene through the streets of Manila, will begin at Quirino Grandstand. It will then go through a pre-determined route along the streets of Manila before arriving at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, also known as Quiapo Church.
Similar processions will also be held in Tagum City, Davao Del Norte and Cagayan De Oro.
A schedule of the Black Nazarene feasts was also released by the City Tourism Office:
- January 2 to 6 – Barangay Visitation – 7:00 pm
- January 7 – Procession of the Replicas of the Black Nazarene – 2:00 pm
- January 8 – Fiesta Vigil at Quirino Grandstand Luneta
- January 9 – Eucharistic Celebration at Quirino Grandstand (Luneta) – 12:00 mn
- Hourly Eucharistic Celebration at Quiapo Church – 3:00 am to 10:00 pm
- January 10 – Arrival of the Black Nazarene
Source: Philstar.com, ABS-CBN News, GMA News Online, The Manila Times
