By Danielle Tiu
MANILA, Philippines — The annual Traslacion of the Black Nazarene concluded on Saturday morning after nearly 31 hours, officially making it the longest procession in the history of the centuries-old religious tradition.
Church officials said the andas carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno arrived at the Minor Basilica of Quiapo at exactly 10:50 a.m., or 30 hours, 50 minutes, and one second after it departed from the Quirino Grandstand at 4:00 a.m. on Friday.
The 2026 Traslacion shattered the previous record set in 2025, which lasted 20 hours and 45 minutes. It also far exceeded the 2024 procession, which concluded in just under 15 hours.
According to the Manila Public Information Office, an estimated 7.3 million devotees participated during the event’s 27th hour alone, highlighting what authorities described as one of the most massive public displays of faith in recent years.
The record-breaking procession, however, was not without challenges. Reports of snapped ropes (lubid) and damaged wheels used to pull the andas surfaced early, slowing down its progress. The carriage also remained on Arlegui Street for nearly four hours, prompting Quiapo Church officials to acknowledge that the procession would exceed its initial target of 15 hours.
More than 24 hours into the procession, the andas reached the Minor Basilica of San Sebastian for the traditional dungaw. At that point, church officials attempted to temporarily halt the Traslacion due to the exhaustion of health workers and first responders, as well as the increasing number of medical emergencies.
Despite the directive, devotees and members of the Hijos del Nazareno continued pulling the andas toward Quiapo Church. Church authorities later said changing the route at that stage would have caused further delays, leaving them with little option but to allow the procession to continue.
As of Saturday, the Quiapo Church Command Post recorded around 1,700 medical cases, including two fatalities, during the 2026 Traslacion.
