By Perla Lena/PNA
ILOILO CITY — Devotees of the Señor Santo Niño gathered for the annual fluvial procession followed by the solemn foot procession along major thoroughfares of Iloilo City on Friday.
Some 23 pump boats led by a vessel of the Philippine Coast Guard, joined the afternoon fluvial procession starting from Fort San Pedro passing along Guimaras strait towards Iloilo River, ending in front of the Aduana building on Muelle Loney St.
It was followed by a solemn foot procession from Muelle Loney to Montinola, Iznart and JM Basa streets, ending at the San Jose Church in front of Plaza Libertad.
Rev. Fr. Raymund Edsel Alcayaga, OSA, San Jose parish priest, said the solemn foot procession was a penitential procession to petition for the success of the festival, as well as part of the celebration of the feast of the Holy Child. “This is not a parade. That’s why we do not allow the use of drums, trumpet of other sound instruments,” he said.
The fluvial procession, on the other hand, serves as a sort of a reenactment of the arrival of the Santo Niño image in Cebu. “The arrival of the image to Iloilo was done by plane so what we are commemorating here is the arrival of the image to the Philippines,” he said.
He added that Señor Santo Niño is not just for land travel, but also for water, thus the water procession.
The San Jose Parish de Placer handles the religious activities of the Dinagyang Festival. Its nine-day novena kicked off January 16 with five masses being held daily.
The parish also conducted medical mission and feeding program for its parishioners.
