A sea of humanity at the Traslacion on the Feast of the Black Nazarene

They came from all over the country to converge on the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, Manila on the morning of January 9 for the Traslacion, the procession bringing the image of the Black Nazarene back to Quiapo Church.

Many scrambled to snatch the thick rope that pulled the carriage along. Many more just tried to get near, throwing handkerchiefs up at the men on the carriage for them to touch to the statue. All were there hoping that their devotion would result in prayers granted. As one Traslacion veteran once said, everyone has a reason to be here.

When the procession started early in the morning, the crowd count was already at 1.5 million. The number is expected to balloon to at least 13 million—about 13 percent of the Philippines' entire population—by the evening.

— BM, GMA News