IT’S all systems go.
Thus said Mayor Honey Lacuna on the slated celebration of the the Feast of the Black Nazarene every January 9th, highlighted by the procession called, ‘Traslacion,’where millions of devotees join.
Lacuna led the send-off ceremony on Monday afternoon, for the uniformed personnel who will be deployed on the said feast day, where she said: “Isang direksyon lang po tayo at sundin lamang natin ang naayon sa ating mga nailatag na mga panuntunan. Gabayan at ingatan nawa tayong lahat ng Nuestro Padre Hesus Nazareno.”
Also present in the said occasion held at the Quirino Grandstand were Vice Mayor Yul Servo, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Rommel Marbil and Manila Police District (MPD) Director PGen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, among others.
Those sent off were personnel from the PNP, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection and the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Joint Task Force NCR.
Outgoing Quiapo Church vicar and now Balanga, Bataan Bishop Rev. Fr. Rufino ‘Jun’ Sescon, blessed the uniformed personnel present in the ceremony, after which some of them began their duty of providing security to the grandstand where the image of the Black Nazarene was already installed for the traditional “Pahalik,” which officially starts on January 7 (Tuesday).
“Ang pagdiriwang ng Kapistahan ng Poong HesusNazareno ay malaking bahagi ng kultura at tradisyongPilipino lalo’t higit ng mga Manilenyo….di lang siya isang religious event kundi isang malaking tourism event na rin, dahil nakapang-hihikayat siya ng maraming tao mula sa labas ng Maynila at labas ng bansa upang pumunta at bumisita sa Maynila upang masaksihan ang mga kaganapan sa buong kapistahan, lalo’t higit ang mismong Traslacion,” Lacuna said in her short message.
“At dahil ilang milyong mga tao ang inaasahangdumagsa sa susunod na mga araw, mula mamayahanggang sa Huwebes dito sa may Quirino Grandstand at hanggang doon sa paligid ng simbahan ng Quiapo, inaasahan tayo ng Simbahan at ng buong sambayanan na ang pamahalaang- lokal ng Maynila at ang pamahalaang national, gayundin ang mga pribadong samahan ay tulong-tulong sa pagbibigay katiyakan na ang lahat ay magiging maayos at ligtas. Ilang buwan narin naman nating napaghandaan ang ating mga pinag-isipan, pinag-aralan at pinagplanuhang mga hakbang para sa ikatatagumpay ng pagdiriwang na ito para sa Poong Hesus Nazareno,” she added.
The ‘Traslacion’ is marked by the procession of the 400-year-old black image of the Nazarene from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church.
