50,000 Black Nazarene devotees gather at the Quirino Grandstand on eve of Traslacion

Thousands of Black Nazarene devotees are gathered at the Quirino Grand stand on Tuesday evening for the Pahalik while others trooped to the venue to attend the procession on Wednesday morning. PHOTO BY ANNA FELICIA BAJO

About 50,000 devotees of the Black Nazarene are gathered at the Quirino Grandstand late Tuesday evening, according to the Manila Police District (MPD).

The situation in Quirino Grandstand is peaceful while the Pahalik is ongoing, despite the very large crowd. The Pahalik is the traditional veneration of the statue of the Black Nazarene.

A total of 548 personnel from the MPD are deployed in the area as well as 849 personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

By 12 midnight, a High Mass will be held at the venue, which will be led by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle who is also expected to deliver the homily.

At the Quiapo church, meanwhile, a mass will be celebrated every hour until the statue of the Black Nazarene arrives.

Meanwhile, police said the crowd at the Quiapo Church was now at 1,000.

The MPD deployed 393 cops while 37 soldiers are helping them secure the safety of individuals in the area.

Authorities said the situation was still peaceful and that mass is still ongoing. — BAP, GMA News