Viva! Pit Senyor!
Approximately 400 sea vessels tailed behind the LCT Martin VIII, which carried the blessed images of Señor Sto. Niño, the titular head of the Archdiocese of Cebu, the Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Archdiocese, and St. Joseph the Worker, in the seaborne procession held at dawn Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, a day before the feast day of the Sto. Niño.
The seaborne procession, a reenactment of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, drew about 200,000 devotees who participated both at sea and on land.
The seaborne procession from the Naval Forces Central in Lapu-Lapu City to Pier 1 in Cebu City, traversing the waters under the first Mactan-Mandaue bridge, ended smoothly and orderly.
The vibrant celebration spirit extended to Barangay Pasil, Cebu City, where residents and devotees engaged in the customary water-drenching tradition.
In the afternoon, thousands of devotees walked six kilometers along Osmeña Blvd. to V. Rama Ave., then to A. Borromeo St. and back to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño in the Solemn Foot Procession of the 459th Fiesta Señor, to pay homage to the Holy Child, braving the intense heat along the way.