More Black Nazarene devotees on Tuesday
A local disaster officer is expecting an increase on the number of devotees that will join the ‘traslacion’ of the Black Nazarene in Cagayan de Oro on Tuesday, January 9.
Allan Porcadilla, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CDRRM) officer, said from roughly 120,000 faithfuls who took part in last year’s procession, it may likely go up to perhaps 250,000 this year.
Porcadilla said this is because there have been no signs of weather system
disturbance that may spoil one of the major religious activities in the city.
“Kung naay mga 120,000 last year posible nga mosaka kini sa 250,000 tungod kay maayo man ang atong panahon,”Porcadilla said.
Aside from the good weather, Porcadilla said the route of the procession is also a factor that could attract more devotees to join the procession.
“Mubo sad ang atong ruta karon kaniadto ang uban gikapoy kay layo unya tuyok-tuyok ang ruta so gi-expect nato nga mosaka ang ihap sa mga devotees,” he added.
This year’s traslacion will go back to the original route which will start from St. Augustine Cathedral and will end up to the Nazareno Church, passing through the Fernandez street, Velez street and CM Recto Avenue.
The replica of the Black Nazarene will be transferred from the Nazareno Church to the Cathedral after the evening mass on Monday, January 8. The vigil will then follow. The procession will start at 5:00 a.m. and is projected to end in about two hours.
Porcadilla said the Incident Management Team (IMT) will be activated on Monday morning.
He said ambulances and first aid stations will be in position around the Cathedral during the vigil.
Porcadilla also said more first aid stations will be scattered along the path of the procession and mobile response team will also follow the procession.
He said this is to ensure that they can immediately respond to emergency situations and attend to some medical needs.
“Atong hangyo sa mga devotees nga mokaon daan ug magpainit kay kadlawon raba aron dili makuyapan. Kung lain ang ginhawa duol lang sa mga first aid station,”Porcadilla said.