January 9 is the Feast of the Black Nazarene, one of the most popular religious celebrations across the Philippine archipelago. On this day thousands of people join the celebrations in Quiapo in Manila and in Cagayan de Oro City, where the replica of the original statue is.

As in the last year, due to the pandemic COVID-19, also this year the activities and celebrations of this feast were very much reduced. The famous procession called Traslacion was either called off or simplified. In Cagayan de Oro for example, instead of a procession, the image of the Black Nazarene was brought out of the Nazareno Church and was paraded through a motorcade around the city to prevent people from crowding the streets and thus spreading the virus. The religious activity started on January 9, 2022, at 3 am when most people were still asleep. Continue reading →