It took an hour and a half for the Andas to pass the entire span of the museum and moved closer towards Quiapo. It only took out a kilometre out of its 7 kilometer journey back to the Basilica. We were already expecting that it’ll reach its final destination by the next day.

The Andas leaves Padre Burgos

As soon as the built up of tension, human drama, and climax came, it was swept with a solemn procession at the back of the Andas. Men, women, children, the disabled, and the elderly solemnly pray. It was an exact opposite of what we saw a few minutes ago. The chaos dissipated with murmur of prayers and orations.

Chaos was replaced by the solemn procession at the back of the Andas. The line was shorter and calmer.

Incredibly, the line of praying people was short. Only a few minutes that they have passed, the street sweepers were already cleaning up the mess. A few meters behind it, vehicular traffic has resumed.

After that, Padre Burgos Street and the National Museum were spanking clean, as if nothing happened.

Anyare?

30 minutes after the end of the procession line, the MMDA Metro Aide started cleaning the streets. Then minutes later, may nangyaring prusisyon? Photo with Prof. Xiao Chua

We salute the Metro Aides of the Metropolitran Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for cleaning up the mess.

(The Andas reached Quiapo Church the next day at almost 4 in the morning).

Surreal and Incomprehensible

To be honest, even if we have witnessed the actual event, we are still left to ponder on a lot of things about the Traslacion. We tried to understand on how and why people have to endure such hellish conditions and will do everything just to be near the image?

A lot of captured moments in an hour and a half coverage. What more if it was the entire procession.

Personally, after being with several religious processions, including the big one at Cebu, we’re left to ponder on why such chaos was necessary? Also, was media hyping the said event, to the point that it should be a “national concern” (which has irked some people in the provinces and remarked it as overacting)? These are only some of the questions left unanswered.

The sky over the procession

The Traslacion for us is something beyond comprehension, we guess. However, it was an amazing show of force and faith amid the chaos, the solemnity and the complexity of the Black Nazarene Procession. It was indeed surreal.