Former President and current Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada officially announced on Friday, January 3, the suspension of classes in all levels on the Feast of the Black Nazarene which will culminate on January 9, 2014.
The announcement was made possible through Executive Order 41 undersigned by Mayor Joseph Estrada after the local government decided to declare suspension of classes amid “translacion.”
According to the organizers of this year’s procession, approximately 12 million devotees will attend the 9-day novena and majority will join in the whole day procession on January 9.
Here’s the route of the Black Nazarene procession on January 9, 2014:
Quirino Grandstand to Katigbak Drive to Padre Burgos to Taft Avenue to MacArthur Bridge to Quezon Boulevard to Arlegui to Fraternal to Vergara Street to Duque de Alba Street to Nepomuceno.
From Nepomuceno to Castillejos to Farnecio to Arlegui to Nepomuceno to Aguila to Carcer to Hidalgo towards Plaza del Carmen to Bilibid Viejo to Guzman to Hidalgo to Barbosa Globo de Oro to Palanca, and then back to Plaza Miranda.
The feast commemorates the black wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ, believed to survived after a catastrophic fire that destroyed the ship where the sculpture on board from Mexico to Manila.
Meanwhile, around 6, 000 personnel will be deployed including policemen to manage security, traffic and crowd control during the procession of barefoot Catholic devotees.
