Devotees observe the social distance to attend mass on a road near the Quiapo church in Manila on Jan. 9.
Photographer: Ted Aljibe / AFP / Getty Images
Photographer: Ted Aljibe / AFP / Getty Images
Tens of thousands of people ignored government advice and flocked to the Philippine capital, Manila, on Saturday to celebrate the feast of the Black Nazarene, a statue believed to have healing powers.
An estimated 400,000 people have passed through Quiapo district since 4 am local time, Lt. Col. Carlo Magno Manuel, a spokesman for the Manila Police District, told reporters. Because of coronavirus restrictions, only 400 visitors at a time were allowed to enter the church where the statue was.
More than one million people have participated in the annual pilgrimage in recent years. On Saturday, most people appear to have taken the advice of authorities and health experts, who urged devotees to stay home and attend mass online.
Authorities were quick to disperse the morning crowd and ensure strict implementation of physical distance, the Health Department said in a statement.
The Philippines has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases in Southeast Asia, with more than 485,000 on January 9.
The celebration of the Black Nazarene is one of the country’s biggest annual security challenges as the faithful of Asia’s most Catholic troops to the capital.
(Updates the figure in the second paragraph, adds statement from the health department in the fourth.)