This Week in Metro Manila (January 09 to 15, 2017)

The procession will start at Quirino Grandstand, will pass through the streets of Manila, and end at Quiapo Church. Commuters who are not joining the procession are thus advised to avoid traversing the vicinity of the Traslacion route. The parochial vicar of Quiapo church, Fr. Douglas Badong, shared some safety advises during the Traslacion. Devotees should remember to trim their toenails before joining the Traslacion to prevent self-inflicted injuries as devotees are required to walk barefoot when joining the procession.

Participants are also advised to leave unnecessary gadgets and other personal belongings at home to avoid pickpockets. Backpacks will be confiscated in the procession. Devotees who are sick and those with hypertension and asthma are encouraged to stay at home and watch the media coverage instead.

Like in the previous years, there will be no cellular phone signals in the venue and flying drones are banned for security purposes.

Last year, 1.5 million people joined the grand procession of the Black Nazarene which lasted for 20 hours and was recorded as one of the most organized Quiapo fiestas ever happened.

Nearby hotels are open for those who want to stay near the Quiapo Church. There are still available rooms in Sunstar Grand Hotel which is a 3-minute walk from Quiapo Church. One Quiapo Hotel, Hotel 99, and Dela Chambre Hotel also offer accommodation. However, note that room availability depends on the surge of reservations as the date of festivity approaches.

MMDA is also giving 20% discount to devotees who will stay in the MMDA-managed hotel, Gwapotel, located in Port Area Manila from January 7 to 9.

Weather throughout the week will be mostly cloudy with occasional rain showers. Those who are joining the Traslacion 2017 can wear a poncho instead of bringing an umbrella as part of safety precaution. However, devotees are advised to wear comfortable clothes and footwear to adapt easily in a populous crowd.

Re-routing of vehicles and ferry service schedules for the festival The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) encourages the public to refrain from passing through the streets included in the route of Traslacion 2017. Map of re-routing of vehicles are posted at the MMDA Facebook page.

The Pasig River Ferry Service will be extended to provide more modes of transportation for devotees going to Manila. Operation will start as early as 5:30 AM (Guadalupe to Escolta) until 7:00 PM (Escolta to Guadalupe). Millions of devotees are expected to join the feast.

Every third week of January, the people of Tondo, Manila celebrates the Lakbayaw Festival in honor of Santo Niño, the Holy Child Jesus. Lakbayaw is a portmanteau of Tagalog words; Lakbay means journey, and Sayaw means dance. This annual festival is highlighted by colorful street dance performances by the locals of Tondo as sign of their devotion to the Santo Niño.

While the feast of Santo Niño is also celebrated in many parts of Manila, the Lakbayaw in Tondo is said to be the most vibrant and has the most number of participants.

The feast of Santo Niño is also celebrated nationwide in different regions: Sinulog Festival in Cebu, Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo, and Ati-atihan Festival in Aklan.