Traslacion 2026 slowed by 'aggressive' devotees
Published Jan 10, 2026 12:22 am
Church officials on Friday said that the aggressive behavior of some devotees of the Jesus Nazareno contributed to the slow pace of the Traslacion, which could extend the procession’s duration to more than 21 hours, longer than last year.
The image of Jesus Nazareno is surrounded by a sea of Catholic devotees as they take part in the traditional Traslacion along Carlos Palanca Street in Manila on Friday, January 9, 2026, as thousands of faithful joined the annual procession in celebration of the Feast of Jesus Nazareno, one of the country’s largest religious gatherings.
(Photos by John Louie Abrina)
The image of Jesus Nazareno is surrounded by a sea of Catholic devotees as they take part in the traditional Traslacion along Carlos Palanca Street in Manila on Friday, January 9, 2026, as thousands of faithful joined the annual procession in celebration of the Feast of Jesus Nazareno, one of the country’s largest religious gatherings.
(Photos by John Louie Abrina)
According to Quiapo Church communications coordinator Silgen Frias Cabrito, some devotees have been pushing toward the front of the andas, causing repeated stops and delays as it passed through Arlegui Street, where the roads are narrow.
“It seems mas aggressive ang mga deboto na makapunta sa harap ng imahen… Madami sa kanila ang tumitigil sa gawing harap sa baba ng Andas na nagdadasal at matapos ay magsisikap na sumampa para makahawak sa salamin ng Andas (It seems that devotees are more aggressive in trying to reach the front of the image… Many of them stop at the front of the andas to pray, and then try to climb up to touch the glass of the andas),” he said.
The procession reportedly stayed along Arlegui Street for nearly five hours due to the large crowds and narrow roads.
“Ang average time and motion natin bago kumanan ng Arlegui ay 3.5 hrs per kilometer. Masikip ang mga kalsada ng Arlegui at nagdatingan na ang mga lumabas sa trabaho (Our average time and movement before reaching Arlegui Street is 3.5 hours per kilometer. The roads in Arlegui are narrow, and people coming off work have already joined the crowd),” he explained.
“If the current pace remains, we might exceed more than 21 hours,” he added.
Based on the latest crowd estimates from the Quiapo Church command post, a total of 822,500 devotees were recorded joining the Feast of the Jesus Nazareno as of 10 p.m.
As of 11:27 p.m., the Andas is approaching Castillejos Street.
The Traslacion 2025 concluded when the carriage of Jesus Nazareno officially arrived at Quiapo Church in Manila at 1:26 a.m. on Jan. 10, 2025, taking a total of 20 hours and 45 minutes.
Although this year’s Traslacion reportedly started earlier than in previous years, beginning at 3:58 a.m., the procession is still expected to last more than 21 hours.