MANILA, Philippines — After more than a full day of devotion, the 2026 Traslacion of the Black Nazarene ended Saturday morning, setting a new record as the longest procession in the annual feast’s history.
The sacred image reached Quiapo Church at around 10:50 a.m., almost 31 hours after it began its journey from Quirino Grandstand early Friday. Church authorities confirmed that this year’s procession went far beyond the duration of recent Traslacion events, surpassing the timelines recorded in both 2024 and 2025.
Millions of devotees filled the streets of Manila, with crowd estimates reaching over 7.3 million participants at the peak of the procession. The slow progress of the andas was caused by a combination of dense crowds, damaged wheels, and snapped ropes used by devotees to pull the carriage.
The Traslacion experienced its most tense moments near San Sebastian Basilica, where exhaustion among medical teams and first responders prompted calls for a temporary pause. Despite this, devotees continued the procession toward Quiapo, eventually completing the traditional route.
Health officials reported around 1,700 medical incidents, including two confirmed deaths, as authorities continued to monitor the condition of participants throughout the long and physically demanding procession.
Despite the challenges, the historic length of the Traslacion underscored the enduring devotion of Filipino faithful, marking the 2026 feast as one of the most intense and memorable expressions of faith in recent history.
