Jamaine Punzalan

Thousands of devotees gather in prayer at the Misa Mayor for the annual Traslacion of Jesus Nazareno on January 9, 2026. The Mass marks the start of the religious rites leading to the Traslacion, one of the largest Catholic devotions in the country, drawing millions of faithful seeking healing, thanksgiving, and renewed faith.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

2026 TRASLACION

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176793209084220260109-traslacion-nazareno-misa-mayor-MT17.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Thousands of devotees gather in prayer at the Misa Mayor for the annual Traslacion of Jesus Nazareno on January 9, 2026. The Mass marks the start of the religious rites leading to the Traslacion, one of the largest Catholic devotions in the country, drawing millions of faithful seeking healing, thanksgiving, and renewed faith. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA (UPDATED) — A photojournalist has died after collapsing during the coverage of the Traslacion in Manila, the local disaster office said.The journalist, identified as Armelito Son, 54, collapsed during the traditional &quot;Pahalik&quot; (veneration) of the image of Jesus Nazareno at the Quirino Grandstand, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said. He was rushed to the hospital but later died, added Chris Aminuddin of the MDRRMO. Meanwhile, the Philippine Red Cross said it had catered to at least 465 patients as of noon. Of this figure, 218 required vital signs monitoring, while 223 were classified as minor cases, including dizziness, wounds, abrasion, and sprain. Ten others were classified as major cases involving deep laceration, headache, and puncture.Among the devotees who required medical assistance was Madel Pajartin, who found herself trapped in the sea of worshippers inside Quiapo Church. &quot;Parang nahilo lang ako kasi ang layo ng nilakad mula dito sa tulay hanggang dito sa may simbahan…’Di ko inexpect na ganito karami. Pero nakapasok ako sa may pintuan ng simbahan kaya lang pagbalik di na ako makalabas ang daming tao,&quot; Pajartin said.(I kind of felt dizzy because I walked a long distance from the bridge to the church…I didn’t expect the crowd to be like this. I was able to enter the doors of the church but when I returned, I cannot go out anymore because of the crowd.)Luz Quinones, 77, needed assistance from medical personnel after walking from Carriedo to Quiapo.&quot;Nangangalay lang ang paa ko ngayon…Inabot lang ako ng kinakailangan ipahinga ko na…Nangako kasi ako na once di ako makauwi sa amin sa Bicol…pupunta ako ng Nazareno,&quot; Quinones said.(My legs just feel tired now. I just had to take a rest…I promised that if I won’t be able to go home to Bicol, I will go to the Nazareno.)Some devotees were injured while joining the procession of the Black Nazarene’s carriage.&quot;Natuklap lang po siya habang nasa prusisyon ako sumasalang… Natapak-tapakan masikip po kasi,&quot; Kerobin Jamison said.(I got injured while I was in the procession…I got stepped on because it was crowded.)&quot;Nung nandun na po kami sa mismong Nazareno po…nagkahilaan po ng lubid. Nung bumagsak po kami yung isa po ako sa nadagdagan ng kapwa ko deboto,&quot; Rommel Abrio said.(While we were near the carriage, the ropes were pulled. When we fell, another devotee fell on top of me.)One woman fainted while waiting for Mass along Quezon Boulevard, and several others who felt dizzy were assisted into wheelchairs.Some devotees were brought to hospitals from first aid stations.In one incident, a devotee attempted to cross over a barrier along Quezon Boulevard but missed his footing and fell face first onto the pavement. He sustained swelling and injuries to his face and limbs.The patient was brought by the Philippine Red Cross to East Avenue Medical Center, which officials said was chosen due to lighter traffic. It was among the hospitals designated by the Department of Health to receive Traslacion-related cases.&quot;Karamihan code red may naistroke, laceration, nagulungan ng gulong ng andas,  mga nag-pass out yun,&quot; said Gilbert Celestino, Safety Officer, Incident Command Post Area 3, Quadrant 3.(Most of the code red, there was one who suffered a stroke, laceration, some were ran over by the carriage, some passed out.)<div><iframe width="1255" height="706" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9o0tiLT-8wk" title="Nazareno 2026: The ABS-CBN News Special Live Coverage | January 9" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Authorities reminded older devotees to take extra precautions, stay hydrated, and avoid overcrowded areas. Officials said crowd compression may cause breathing difficulty, which could lead to loss of consciousness.“Unahin po natin ang ating kaligtasan. Iwasan po natin ang tulakan at siksikan lalo na sa areas na masisikip at mga chokepoints,” Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Secretary General Dr. Gwendolyn Pang said in a separate interview.(Let us prioritize our safety. Let us avoid pushinga nd crowding especially in narrow areas and chokepoints.)“Uminom po tayo ng sapat na tubig at huwag pong ipilit kung mayroon nang hindi magandang nararamdaman sa kanilang katawan,” she said.(Let us drink enough water and let’s not force it if we are already not feeling well.)As of noon, police pegged the crowd estimate across the Traslacion route at 556,000.“Wala naman po tayong naitala na untoward incident or medical emergency maliban po doon sa isang nabalita na nasawi na isang miyembro ng media,” National Capital Region Police Office spokesperson PMaj. Hazel Asilo told state television PTV. (We have not yet rrecorded any untoward incident or medical emergency except for the member of the media that was reported dead.)

A photojournalist has died after collapsing during the coverage of the Traslacion in Manila, the local disaster office said.

A photojournalist has died after collapsing during the coverage of the Traslacion in Manila, the local disaster office said.

Photojournalist dies after collapsing at Traslacion coverage; hundreds of devotees given medical aid

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Photojournalist dies after collapsing at Traslacion coverage; hundreds of devotees given medical aid

Zyann Ambrosio,

Katrina Domingo,

and Izzy Lee,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 09, 2026 12:51 PM PHT

|

Updated Jan 09, 2026 07:46 PM PHT

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Traslacion

Manila

Nazareno

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religion

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