By Ferdinand Patinio | Philippine News Agency
The route of the annual Black Nazarene procession or Traslacion on Jan. 9 next year will remain the same, a Quiapo Church official said.
Officials of concerned national government agencies as well as the local government and Quiapo Church held a walk-through of the Traslacion route Wednesday.
“The usual problems that we see—and [which] we have already resolved—are the damaged pavements and sidewalks,” Alex Irasga, the upcoming celebration’s technical adviser, said in a phone interview.
The procession will begin at the Quirino Grandstand, turn right to Katigbak Drive (left side), right to Padre Burgos Street through Finance Road, go straight to Ayala Bridge, left to Palanca Street, right to Quezon Boulevard, right to Arlegui Street, right to Fraternal Street, right to Vergara Street, left to Duque de Alba Street, left to Castillejos Street, left to Farnecio Street, right to Arlegui Street, left to Nepomuceno Street, left to Concepcion Aguila Street, right to Carcer Street, right to Hidalgo through Plaza del Carmen, left to Bilibid Viejo through Gonzalo Puyat, left to J.P. de Guzman Street, right to Hidalgo Street, left to Quezon Boulevard, right to Palanca Street through Quezon Bridge, right to Villalobos through Plaza Miranda and finally to Quiapo Church.
Meanwhile, Irasga is optimistic that bishop-elect Rufino “Jun” Sescon Jr. will be joining the January celebration even after his appointment as the new bishop of the Diocese of Balanga.
“He said he will finish the celebration of the feast first. Anyway, in practice, a bishop has a transition period of a maximum of four months. He has enough time to still become part of this effort,” Irasga added.
On Tuesday, Pope Francis appointed Sescon as the new bishop of Balanga. For now the bishop-elect serves as the parish priest of the Minor Basilica.