Monday, January 07, 2008 150 medical workers to aid Black Nazarene devotees
THE Quiapo Church will deploy at least 150 medical personnel for the upcoming feast of the Black Nazarene on Wednesday.
Msgr. Clemente Ignacio, parish priest of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, said part of the preparations is to make sure that there will be no casualty on the feast day itself.
"Let us do our best so nobody will die or get hurt in the procession," said Ignacio.
He said the 150 health personnel would be divided into 13 teams. The teams will be dispatched in the strategic areas within the Quiapo premises to immediately respond in cases of emergency.
Aside from the medical personnel comprising of doctors and nurses, about 15 units of ambulances will also be deployed.
Ignacio said preparation for the feast of the Black Nazarene is also 80 to 90 percent complete.
"It's 80 to 90 percent complete. We can say we are already in the rough finishing," he said.
He said they do not want the same thing to happen to Wednesday event as what happened last Tuesday where six devotees of the Black Nazarene were injured while pulling the carroza bearing the image of the Black Nazarene.
"We only expected a few people to join the procession that time but the number of devotees suddenly ballooned. So for Wednesday, we really can't calculate how many are coming," Ignacio said.
The Manila Police District (MPD) is also fine-tuning its preparations for the feast of the Black Nazarene.
MPD officer-in-charge Senior Superintendent Leo Quizon said he is mapping out plans to deploy "a large number" of police personnel and patrol vehicles to the Quiapo area next Wednesday to avoid similar incidents from occurring.
Thousands of devotees are expected to go to Quiapo Church on Wednesday for the annual procession of the Black Nazarene, which will start after the 12:15 p.m. mass to be presided by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo.
Among those expected to attend the procession is Vice President Manuel "Noli" de Castro, a long-time devotee of the Black Nazarene.
It is only on three occasions when the Black Nazarene is being taken out from the Quiapo Church for procession. These include January 1 for the thanksgiving procession, January 9, its feast day, and on Good Friday. (MSN/Sunnex)
