Preparation is vital in achieving safety and public order objectives associated with a major event such as Traslacion, the procession of the Black Nazarene that is participated in by millions of ardent devotees in a predominantly Catholic country.

Diann Calucin, our Manila Bulletin reporter, was covering the Traslacion for the fourth time last week and her top-of-mind observation is that “it could have been managed better” if it weren’t for the fact that the preparations were evidently not as timely and comprehensive compared to previous years’ experience. She recalled that reporters assigned to do the coverage received briefings from the organizers in November and December, or several weeks before the big event – and not on the week itself.

She also observed that the andas or carriage used to carry and Black Nazarene was set up in a way that made it easier for the devotees, especially, the younger ones, to climb it. Yet, as told to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) by Fr. Robert Arellano, spokesperson for the Quiapo Church: “To prevent injuries, the andas has been modified to make it harder to climb by devotees of the Black Nazarene due to a steep and slippery feature in front of the carriage.” Moreover, a sunroof was used “to allow spectators from buildings to see the image during the procession while permitting natural light” to shine on the statue. The stainless metal components and wheels of the carriage were also reinforced to make it harder for the devotees to climb it.

Be that as it may, Traslacion 2026 will be remembered not only for its scale, but for its sheer duration. Stretching to an extraordinary 30 hours and 50 minutes, it has been described as the longest Traslacion in recent history. Faith was measured by endurance.

The Black Nazarene is not a distant, gilded symbol. He is a suffering Christ, darkened and scarred, borne by a people who know suffering intimately. The Traslacion’s length dramatized a collective willingness to stay the course—no matter how long it takes.

Yet the 2026 Traslacion also invites harder questions.

In a democracy where civic participation is uneven and trust in institutions is fragile, why does religious mobilization succeed where civic mobilization often falters? Millions will wait, walk, and sacrifice for a sacred image. Far fewer will line up for town halls, volunteer for local councils, or sustain pressure for policy reform. This contrast is not an indictment of faith; it is an invitation to rethink how faith might animate citizenship.

Historically, Philippine religion and politics have not been strangers. Faith helped galvanize People Power in 1986. Religious leaders have mediated during crises and spoken truth to power at critical moments. But the relationship has also been uneasy. Religious fervor can be politically exploited; demonstrations of piety can be reduced to mere rituals.

Traslacion 2026, by its magnitude and length, sharpened this tension. It showed the immense social capital embedded in belief. How then should this massive reservoir of social capital be harnessed—and what are the risks of letting that capital remain underutilized?

Consider the logistics. A 30-hour procession requires discipline, coordination, restraint, and cooperation among devotees, volunteers, local governments, and security forces. These are civic virtues. They mirror what functional governance demands: patience, adherence to rules, and shared responsibility for the participants’ welfare. When devotees lift one another from a crush or pass water down a human chain, they enact a lived ethic of solidarity. The question is whether such habits can outlast the procession, and if the devotees can persevere in terms of living these virtues in the crucible of their daily existence.

There are possibilities for channeling religious fervor into an enlightened civic consciousness. The first lies in reframing devotion as formation. Churches and lay organizations can more deliberately connect the meaning of the Nazarene’s suffering to concrete social obligations, such as honesty in public service, compassion in policy, and stewardship of the common good. Love of God may be manifested in daily acts of good citizenship. Being law-abiding is a natural offshoot of being God-fearing.

Second, partnerships matter. Faith-based groups already deliver education, health, and disaster response at scale. Imagine if the energy of the Traslacion devotion were paired with sustained programs: voter education rooted in conscience; anti-corruption campaigns framed as moral commitments; community monitoring of public services anchored in parish life. The credibility of religious institutions—earned through trust—can help rebuild confidence in collective action, provided they remain non-partisan and principled.

Third, leadership must rise to the challenge. Traslacion 2026 invites public officials to serve as role models. If millions of ordinary citizens can endure 30 hours for faith, leaders should endure the harder work of reform. They must resolutely demonstrate their commitment to ensure transparent budgets, accountable policing, humane urban planning, and policies that reduce the daily suffering that devotees bring to the Nazarene. Faith provides the moral yardstick by which governance will be judged.

Finally, citizens themselves must do what it takes to bridge expectations with outcomes. The Traslacion’s power lies not only in numbers but in intensity of the will to achieve. Devotion that ends at the church door must extend to devotion that walks into daily life—into workplaces, barangays, and ballots—becomes transformative. The same hands that pull the rope can sign petitions, mentor youth, monitor projects, and vote with discernment. The task now is to convert endurance into direction.

Faith has shown it can move millions. The challenge—and the promise—is to let it move toward reform of institutions and formation of a civic conscience. Traslacion in recent memory has demonstrated that when Filipinos believe, they do not quit. The country will be uplifted when that belief consistently walks the long road that leads to the higher ground of responsible citizenship.

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