More than 5 million devotees, some barefooted, walked from different parts of Metro Manila to join the annual trek to Antipolo City in Rizal Province on Thursday night, April 17.
(Photo from Antipolo Cathedral's Facebook page)
Rizal Police Provincial Office Director Col. Felipe Maraggun said around 5,121,718 were recorded to have reached the International Shrine of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City from their places of origin in Metro Manila as of 6 a.m. on Good Friday.
Policemen watch over the crowd on Thursday night (Photo contributed by Cristofer Magpusao of San Roque Rescue)
Several policemen, military personnel, volunteer groups, barangay volunteers and city hall personnel served as peacekeepers during the traditional “Alay Lakad” which is the annual trekking of devotees of the Virgin of Antipolo to the city during Holy Thursday to Good Friday.
The police official told the Manila Bulletin that the Lenten tradition in Antipolo City was successful and peaceful with the entire event transpiring without any untoward incident.
Rescue personnel on the alert as the crowd continues to grow in number on Holy Thursday (Photo contributed by San Roque, Antipolo Fire and Rescue)
Maraggun said the discipline, cooperation, and unity of all the participants were instrumental in the orderly conduct of the annual Lenten tradition in Antipolo City.
As some of the crowd left the Antipolo cathedral and its vicinity following the fulfillment of their annual vow of joining the Alay Lakad, the city government’s clean and green personnel managed to rid the streets of trash.
The city government had set up public assistance centers with medical teams and rescue personnel in strategic areas leading to Antipolo’s international shrine as part of its preparation for the city’s biggest crowd gathering event during the Holy Week.
Mayor Casimiro “Junjun” Ynares III said tarpaulins with messages on how to make the annual tradition orderly had been set up on the walls leading to the city.
The processions held in the city on Holy Wednesday and attended by hundreds of parishioners and devotees were also orderly.
Holy Wednesday procession in Antipolo City (Photo by Nel Andrade)