1.6M witness ritual

Sunday, January 15, 2012

LARGER than the organizers and police officials’ expectations, a crowd of some 1.6 million people gathered for the procession in honor of the Sto. Niño yesterday afternoon.

There were no major disturbances on the 6.8-kilometer route, even if the procession took a longer time than usual to end. Some jostled to touch the image, but most contented themselves with reciting the prayers or waving their hands as they sang.

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“People just want to be close to God. This is not fanaticism. In the Bible, the people went to where Jesus was just to be near him,” said Msgr. Cristobal Garcia, in his homily during the reenactment yesterday morning of the first baptism and mass.

“Mao ni asa ang tawo og langit magtagpo (This is the time when man and heaven meet),” he added.

The ritual began around 1:30 p.m., a few hours after the fluvial procession that brought the image of the Sto. Niño back to Cebu City from Mandaue.

Control

Augustinian spokesman Fr. Tito Soquiño, OSA, said they underestimated the surge of people who attended the procession.

“But the activity remained generally peaceful with no major disturbances,” he said.

The carroza of the Sto. Niño had to stop more times than usual because the security detail encountered crowd control problems.

Cebu City Police Office Intelligence Branch Chief Romeo Santander told Sun.Star Cebu the ritual attracted about 600,000 more followers compared to last year’s event.

“We had a hard time controlling the crowd after some attendees forced their way in just to catch sight of the carroza of the Sto. Niño. We didn’t anticipate the turnout would be this big, but it was still manageable,” Santander said.

About 2,300 police operatives and civilian volunteers secured the procession.

Santander, during the interview, revealed that devotees near the Basilica del Sto. Niño refused to leave their posts as early as 4 a.m.

Peaceful

Three snatchers were separately arrested in Fuente Osmeña during the procession, the police also said.

“We are only waiting for the complainants to show up and execute affidavits against them,” Santander said, adding that a broken necklace will serve as evidence against one of the suspects.

The procession, he added, was generally peaceful.

The image of the Sto. Niño reached the Basilica a few minutes before 7 p.m., more than five hours after Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma carried it to its carroza.

In previous years, the procession usually ended by 6 p.m.

Soquiño noted there were a few skirmishes but these were still tolerable. He referred to a couple of incidents when a man berated the security detail that surrounded the Sto. Niño’s image, claiming they pushed him too hard.

At the corner of Osmeña Blvd. and Sanciangko Sts., the unidentified man continued to shout at the security guards for several minutes.

Fr. Raul Cabugao, OSA, approached the man and told him, “You are not a devout Catholic!” He then went back to the group of priests and nuns surrounding the Sto. Niño image.

Sacrifice

He told reporters later that the man’s behavior was not appropriate for the religious activity, which called for prayer and sacrifice.

Fr. Soquiño explained that the practice of the foot procession as a form of prayer is like a devotee following in the footsteps of a saint or Jesus himself, on his journey to Calvary.

“You can say that you are following in the footsteps of Jesus,” he said.

Along the route, people waited with their own images of the Sto. Niño.

Among the participants was Rep. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu Province, first district), who recalled that the procession used to follow a much shorter route.

Another form of devotion to the Holy Infant Jesus is through dance, particularly the Sinug.

Recovery

The 140-member Sandiego Dance Troupe, which choreographer Val Sandiego leads, performed in thanksgiving on the 10 year since his house was gutted by a fire that happened on the day before they were to perform at the Basilica.

That year, they ended up wearing white T-shirts, jeans and slippers that were donated by friends and donors, and delivered an emotional performance before a large crowd.

To remember the lessons of the unfortunate event, the group, with the help of their sponsor Antonio Yap, recreated the costumes that were burned during the fire.

Val Sandiego wore a St. Joseph costume in green and gold, while his wife, Ofelia, wore a costume of gold and blue. Both wore wings decorated with the images of cherubs.

The women dancers wore white gowns with white wings and silver tiaras, while the males wore white and green costumes.

Earlier in the day, the reenactment of the first baptism and mass at the Basilica del Sto. Niño was also well attended.

The activity began with the planting of a wooden cross by actors who played the Cebuano natives and Spanish soldiers.

Offering

The act symbolized the arrival of Christianity in the country through the expedition led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.

Reynaldo and Diana Andales played Rajah Humabon and Hara Amihan, respectively, accompanied by their children Marian and Jethro.

The music during the mass was more upbeat, with the Society of the Angels of Peace choir joined by the All Men Praise group.

But the morning mass ended on a solemn note, when the choir performed an original composition of a Sto. Niño devotee who passed away last year.

Msgr. Cris related that the New York-based Cebuano visited Cebu City last year, sensing somehow it would be his last time.

“We are here pilgrims of the present and the past; we also remember the pilgrims who passed away,” he said.

The lyrics of the slow song include: “Kaming uhaw sa grasya, maluoy ka. O dungga na kining pangaliya. Manamilit na mi kanimo, salamat sa imong kaayo. Gilig-on nimo among pagtuo (Have mercy on us, who thirst for grace. Hear our prayers. We thank you for your blessing. You have strengthened our faith).”