CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — Tighter security measures will be implemented starting January 8 for the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene, here on January 9.
The Traslación, or transfer, is a reenactment of the 1787 transfer of the Black Nazarene’s image from San Nicolás de Tolentino Church in Intramuros to the Quiapo church—now the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno—St. John the Baptist Parish (Quiapo Church).
In Cagayan de Oro, the Traslación will begin at the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral, where Monsignor Rey Monsanto, the parish priest of the Nazareno Church at the time, first housed the image upon its arrival from Quiapo in 2009.
The Traslación’s procession will traverse from the Cathedral-Fernandez Street going to the Don Apolinar Velez stretch and finally at Claro M. Recto Avenue, where the Jesus Nazareno Parish-Shrine of the Black Nazarene, or more commonly known to locals as Nazareno Church, is located.
This route is about 2.5 kilometers, and the procession would take around an hour and a half to complete.
According to Cagayan de Oro Police Office (COCPO) Chief Operations Officer PLtCol Nerfe Valmoria, the route will have tight security with police visibility with additional help from barangay tanods (barangay security) and other force multipliers.
“Ang amo gyung purpose is safety sa tanan. Para sa PNP, it’s better nga ma-strengthen atong security. Regardless of being peaceful last year, we need to maintain it,” said Valmoria.
(Our main purpose is really the safety of all. For the PNP, it’s better to strengthen our security. Regardless of being peaceful last year, we need to maintain it.)
Valmoria also emphasized the importance of stationing snipers at strategic locations to enhance security measures. K-9 units will also be deployed.
“Dili nalang nato siya lainon pagsabot nganong istrikto atong security kay para ni sa kaayohan ug seguridad sa tanang katawhan sa Cagayan de Oro,” asserted Valmoria.
(Let us not be dismayed by the strict security because this is done for the safety and security of the people of Cagayan de Oro.)
Valmoria urged those planning to fly drones and record the procession to register their aircraft with the PNP COCPO to mitigate the risk of interference.
For his part, Rev. Msgr. Perseus Cabunoc, parish priest and rector of the Jesus Nazareno Parish-Shrine of the Black Nazarene, said that compared to Quiapo’s Traslación, Cagayan de Oro’s numbers are small.
However, Cabunoc emphasized, “Ang debosyon, ang pagsaulog sa kapistahan, wala may deperensya kong ikumpara kay kasaulugan man. Magdeperensya lang na kong unsa ang sentimyento sa tao nga nagdebosyon.”
(Devotion cannot be compared with feasts, as they are all celebrations. What makes a difference is the sentiment of the person who is in the act of devotion.)
He said the celebration here is quite new, and devotees are just starting to get to know about it.
Cabunoc also notes that many parishes in nearby provinces are also celebrating the Feast of the Black Nazarene; hence, there is a lower turnout than in previous years.
In 2023, when Cagayan de Oro was the only city to host the procession, an estimated 110,000 devotees participated in the Traslación. The numbers went down to 18,000 attendees in 2024.
Despite strict security measures, devotee and vice chairperson of the Hijos del Nazareno de Cagayan de Oro, Erickson Bonifacio, appeals to fellow devotees, “Kung mag-uban kita sa Traslación, hinaot nga peaceful atong tuyo ug tumong sa pagkuyog nga ang pag-ampo ang atong katuyuan.”
(If we are to join the Traslación, I hope that our intentions are peaceful and that our true intention is to pray.)
Bonifacio went on saying that if there is something that devotees ask for from Jesus Nazareno, it should also be in prayer all throughout the procession until they reach Nazareno Church.
Securing the well-being of the devotees and everyone involved in this year’s procession, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD) chief Nick Jabagat said there are eight medical aide stations with ambulances along the Traslación’s route.
The locations are BPI-Velez, City Central School junction, gasoline station fronting MOGCHS, Landbank, Banko Sentral, Corrales, and Centrio fronting Jesus Nazareno Parish-Shrine of the Black Nazarene.
“These stations will be managed by our partner medical teams. There are two who volunteered, including the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Red Cross, JR Borja Hospital, City Health Office, and Oro Rescue,” Jabagat said.
The BFP is also deploying a total of six firetrucks and 45 personnel. They are also on standby to assist in any medical emergency.
Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) Chief Engr. Nonito A. Oclarit advises motorists to avoid the procession route on January 9. He said this current route would be the same route for the Traslación yearly.
For updates on the Traslación activities and traffic advisories, one may visit the Cagayan de Oro City Information Office page at www.facebook.com/cityinfo.cdo.ph or the RTA Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/rta.cdoc. (SAYU/PIA-10)
