Feast of Black Nazarene draws 6M attendees, better coordinated

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) reported that this year's Feast of the Black Nazarene was generally peaceful and better coordinated compared to previous years.

Police Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., chief of NCRPO, attributed the improved coordination to better planning and collaboration between security forces and stakeholders.

As of 5 p.m., around 3.5 million devotees had participated in the Traslacion since it began at 4 a.m., according to the Philippine National Police (PNP). By the peak time on Tuesday evening, the total number of devotees reached 6,113,598.

More than 300 injuries and minor illnesses were reported during the procession, with the Philippine Red Cross attending to 643 individuals who needed medical or other assistance.

Nartatez expressed optimism about next year's event being smoother with further improvements planned.

The quicker pace of the procession was credited to better coordination between local government units (LGUs), devotees, and the church.