Around 6,000 devotees participated in the solemn dawn procession of the original image of Child Jesus for the feast of Santo Niño de Tondo in Tondo, Manila on Sunday, Jan. 21.
The Manila Police District (MPD) said that the procession officially started at around 4:05 a.m. where around 800 devotees joined.
The procession was conducted along the streets around Santo Niño de Tondo Parish.
MPD said that at 6:53 a.m., around 3,500 attendees were recorded while the procession was on J. Nolasco Street.
At exactly 7:11 a.m., it said that devotees reached 6,000 as the procession approached and ended at Santo Niño de Tondo Parish.
Meanwhile, around 1,600 law enforcement personnel were deployed to secure the area and the attendees' safety during the event.
Authorities said that the procession ended peacefully.
Meanwhile, 24 "Santa Misa" were scheduled to be offered from 12 a.m. to until 11 p.m on Sunday.
On Saturday, Jan. 20, the day before the Sto. Niño de Tondo feast, the annual Lakbayaw Festival was held where more than 20,000 Child Jesus devotees attended, where they danced and raised their images of Santo Niño during the procession while chanting Viva Sto. Niño.
Lakbayaw is an annual procession attended by devotees and street dancers in colorful costumes to honor Sto. Niño.
The image of the Holy Child of Tondo is one of the most celebrated images of the Child Jesus and is considered the second oldest venerated image of the Child Jesus in the Philippines, next to the Sto. Niño de Cebu.
Read more: https://mb.com.ph/2019/01/20/feast-of-sto-nino-de-tondo/