Catholic devotees flock to the Redemptorist and Quiapo Churches in Baclaran and Manila on Ash Wednesday. The Catholic Church, through the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, recently announced that instead of placing ash in the form of a cross on the foreheads of the faithful, it would be sprinkled on top of their heads as a precautionary measure against the spread of the corona virus. The religious event signifies the start of the Lenten Season for the Catholics.

Video by Gerard Seguia, Enrique Agcaoili