THE Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) reported a peaceful and orderly Traslacion on its first day, with no incidents recorded, according to MCPO Director Police Colonel Cirilo Acosta Jr.
Acosta said the turnover of the sacred image was held at Paradise in Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City, and was carried out smoothly.
“So far, everything is going well. The entire process has been peaceful,” Acosta said.
“The turnover took place at Paradise in Punta Engaño,
Lapu-Lapu City.”
Police noted a significant increase in the number of pilgrims and devotees compared to last year.
Acosta said the estimated crowd this year reached around 20,000, higher than last year’s 17,000.
“There are more people this year. The number of pilgrims and devotees attending is higher compared to last year,” he said.
The procession was originally scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m., but it began shortly after the set time.
Acosta clarified that despite the slight delay, the activity commenced almost immediately upon arrival.
“Our supposed schedule was 9:00 a.m., but it started a little past 9:00. However, once everything arrived, it took only two to three minutes before it officially started,” he said.
Acosta said the large crowd was driven by devotees eager to see and venerate the sacred image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He added that organizers were given enough time to ensure that the procession remained solemn and meaningful.
“Many people wanted to witness our Blessed Virgin. We gave the organizers the opportunity to allow devotees to properly see the sacred image,” he said.
“During the dry run, it only took a few minutes, but we were told to proceed slowly to preserve the solemnity of the procession so devotees could truly appreciate the experience.”
He also noted that the favorable weather may have encouraged more people to attend.
“The weather was not too hot; it was relatively cool. That may be one of the reasons why more people came out,” Acosta said.
To ensure safety, Acosta said police personnel were deployed across the venue and along the procession routes, particularly at the National Shrine of Saint Joseph in Mandaue City.
Police operations are being conducted on a 24-hour basis, with officers working in two shifts as activities are set to continue until the next day.
“Our deployment is already in place all over the venue here at the National Shrine of Saint Joseph in Mandaue City. We have two shifts on a 24-hour basis since the activities will continue until tomorrow,” he said.
After the evening Masses, police are also securing the area during the overnight vigil, locally known as Pahaluna, until the procession is escorted back to the Lapu-Lapu City area the following day.
“After the Masses tonight, there will be a vigil. From nighttime until morning, and until we escort the procession back to Lapu-Lapu City, we will continue to secure the area to ensure the safety of our devotees,” Acosta said.
He added that the same level of security will be implemented along the routes leading back to Lapu-Lapu City, with police providing both route and area security.
“So far, we have not received any reports of incidents,” Acosta said.
“Everything remains peaceful.” (ABC)