The image of Jesus Nazareno returned to Quiapo Church from the Quirino Grandstand on Saturday, concluding the Traslacion after nearly 31 hours, the longest procession in its history.
The image entered the church gates at 10:50 a.m., marking the end of this year’s Traslacion, which drew an estimated 9,640,290 devotees, based on official figures released by church officials.
The annual procession began at the Quirino Grandstand at 4 a.m. on Friday and lasted 30 hours, 50 minutes, and 1 second.
“Ito na ang pinakamahabang selebrasyon ng Traslacion,” said Quiapo Church communications coordinator Silgen Cabrito in a message to reporters.
In comparison, the 2025 Traslacion lasted 20 hours and 45 minutes and was attended by around 8.1 million devotees, according to police estimates.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the longest bottleneck during this year’s procession occurred along the 832-meter stretch from Alegui Street to Duque de Alba and Castillejos streets, where the procession took 9 hours and 50 minutes to pass.
Church officials earlier noted that the procession slowed as more devotees converged at the front of the andas, the carriage bearing the image of Jesus Nazareno.
At the start, the Traslacion moved at a pace similar to last year’s, averaging about one kilometer per hour from the Quirino Grandstand to the National Museum. However, movement significantly slowed as crowds thickened. One kilometer from Finance Road through Ayala Boulevard and across Ayala Bridge took more than six hours to traverse, slower than the 2024 pace.
A rope attached to the andas also broke as the procession reached Quezon Boulevard on Friday afternoon. The Quiapo Church said the incident occurred between 2:50 p.m. and 3 p.m., and the rope was promptly replaced.
