00:00Heads up, especially for devotees, in a couple of hours,
00:03Kyabwe Church will come alive with long lines of the faithful and devotees of the Black Nazarene
00:08seeking to plant a kiss on the inanimate image of the religious icon for personal intentions.
00:14This act of defaith or endearment seeks to have the grace and blessing from above,
00:18or from Christ himself, fall on them. But there's also a caveat. The observance of
00:23hygiene with the effects of the pandemic still hangs over our heads as our Rod Laguzan reports.
00:30As part of the preparations for the Traslacion, a sign of ceremony was held at the Kirino Grandstand
00:35for the security and safety personnel. Rev. Fr. Rupino Sascon, Jr. of Kyabwe Church,
00:40blessed the security and safety personnel who will be securing this year's Traslacion.
00:44The Philippine National Police earlier announced the deployment of civilian officers for the
00:48upcoming Traslacion. According to PNP, the civilian officers will blend in with the
00:53devotees attending the Traslacion. This is part of the PNP's comprehensive security plan,
00:58ensuring that no one can bypass the security measures, even if no serious threats to security
01:03are currently monitored. In total, over 12,000 police officers will be deployed for the Traslacion,
01:09supported by more than 2,000 personnel from Armed Forces of the Philippines,
01:13Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, and other relevant government agencies.
01:18PNP Chief Police General Romel Marbil stated that their primary focus is the safety of the devotees.
01:28He also reminded that wearing hoodies, hats, carrying backpacks, and bringing
01:47bladed weapons are prohibited. They're also ensuring that the public can easily
01:51locate ambulances and comfort rooms. Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Hanele Kunia stated that everything
01:56is ready for the Traslacion. This was followed by a mass for the volunteers who helped the church
02:14to ensure the smooth conduct of the Traslacion this year. Although affected by a technical
02:18problem, the issue was quickly resolved and the mass continued. The mass signaled the start of
02:23activities at the Kirino Grandstand. The Quiapo Church also issued a reminder regarding the
02:28upcoming Pahalik. Some devotees started queuing as early as Monday afternoon for the Pahalik,
02:52taking the opportunity to avoid long lines.
