{"id":11687,"date":"2017-01-06T10:00:12","date_gmt":"2017-01-06T02:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/primer.com.ph\/blog\/?p=11687"},"modified":"2017-01-04T11:59:34","modified_gmt":"2017-01-04T03:59:34","slug":"walangpasok-manila-declares-january-9-a-special-holiday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/blog\/2017\/01\/06\/walangpasok-manila-declares-january-9-a-special-holiday\/","title":{"rendered":"#WalangPasok: Manila declares January 9 a special holiday"},"content":{"rendered":"

The City of Manila declared January 9, 2017 a special holiday to make way for the Feast of the Black Nazarene.<\/p>\n

\"photo\"<\/p>\n

Photo taken by\u00a0Denvie Balidoy<\/a>, grabbed from flickr<\/em><\/p>\n

In a report from Philstar.com<\/a>, 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<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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<\/em>, one of the country\u2019s largest religious practices.<\/p>\n

A report from GMA News Online<\/a> said that Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said the Manila Police District (MPD) would implement an incident command system to ensure participant\u2019s safety and security during the hours-long procession.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have made all the proper preparations and final coordination with different agencies involved in Traslacion<\/em>. We can say we are ready to deal with emergencies,\u201d the mayor said.<\/p>\n

The annual Traslacion, <\/em>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.<\/p>\n

Similar processions will also be held in Tagum City, Davao Del Norte and Cagayan De Oro.<\/p>\n

A schedule of the Black Nazarene feasts was also released by the City Tourism Office:<\/p>\n