Julia Christine Botin

Over five million devotees walk to Antipolo Cathedral for Alay Lakad 2025

Article (news)

Christopher Sitson

ABS-CBN News

<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1912995708384477453&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-04-18T02%3A18%3A38.704437%3A38c38aaa-895c-44ad-a7a6-783557110b73%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=ff912753916c498d3d3037ef1c6a1588de8d3138&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:624px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1912995708384477453"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>MANILA - Over five million devotees walked to the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage for the annual Alay Lakad as estimated by Antipolo police.</p><p>This year&#x27;s crowd estimate is over two million lower than the 2024 crowd of around 7,400,000.</p><p>&quot;Nakitaan natin nang bahagyang pagbaba talaga. Noong nakaraang taon ako na po &#x27;yung hepe rito. There was really a significant change doon sa volume ng tao. Maaari natin ma-attribute ito siguro sa init ng panahon,&quot; Police Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Manongdo, Antipolo PNP chief, said.</p><p>The annual Holy Week activity is a &#x27;pilgrimage walk&#x27; that invites devotees to a sacred journey uphill at the Antipolo Cathedral.</p><p>&quot;Ito po&#x27;y ginagawa ng mga tao upang maging paraan ng debosyon at makiisa sa pagpapakasakit ng panginoon kung saan ito&#x27;y sine-celebrate during Holy Week,&quot; said Jean Simon Castillo from the Antipolo Cathedral&#x27;s social communications team. </p><p>&quot;Taunan po itong ginagawa rito sa bahay namin sa Antipolo, nang sa gayo&#x27;y mas madama ng mga tao, hindi lang ng mga taga-Antipolo kundi mga karatig Pilipinas at buong Pilipinas ang pagpapakasakit sa krus ni Hesukristo,&quot; she added.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hZzBOXLuVJQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>The family of Kim Carillo from San Andres Bukid, Manila, walked together as part of their annual Holy Week tradition.</p><p>&quot;Nag-alay lakad po kami from Guadalupe hanggang dito po sa Antipolo Church. Go lang kahit pagod na, hindi namin iniisip &#x27;yun basta ang goal namin makarating dito at mag-thank you kay God sa mga blessing na binigay niya sa amin,&quot; Carillo said.</p><p>A young girl named Francia Garcia of Parañaque visited the shrine for the first time together with her father.</p><p>&quot;Ang sakit po sa katawan..basta ma-enjoy ko lang po para sulit. First time po ako rito para kay Hesus at Nazareno rin po,&quot; Garcia shared.</p><p>Angel Shenes, along with her two best friends, walked again to continue their yearly &#x27;panata.&#x27;</p><p>&quot;Galing po kaming Tikling tapos umakyat po sa Antipolo. Gusto po namin ma-experience &#x27;yung Alay Lakad at the same time &#x27;yung panatang sinasabi nila,&quot; Shenes said.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/llkG1NaHkW4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>For Karylle Mejares and Marichu Cudal, attending the Alay Lakad meant that another wish might come to life.</p><p>&quot;Siyempre for my wish to come true. Nine years ko na Itong ginagawa,&quot; Mejares said.</p><p>&quot;May mga wishes. Everytime na may winu-wish sa cathedral ng Antipolo, natutupad,&quot; Cudal said.</p>