The image of the Black Nazarene returned to Quiapo Church at around 10:50 a.m. on January 10, 2026, concluding the longest Traslacion in history after nearly 31 hours. Millions of devotees joined the Feast of the Black Nazarene celebration, but the event saw several deaths and thousands of medical cases. Church officials expressed concerns over participant safety.
The Traslacion began on January 9, 2026, at around 3:58 a.m. from Quirino Grandstand and returned to the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno in Quiapo at about 10:50 a.m. the next day, lasting 30 hours, 50 minutes, and 1 second—the longest in history. The Nazareno Operations Center reported 9.64 million participants, including those at the grandstand and church, while the Manila Public Information Office estimated 7.33 million as of 7 a.m. Saturday.
Amid massive crowds along the 5.8-kilometer route, the procession was delayed by devotees climbing the andas, causing it to tilt. Quiapo Church technical adviser Alex Irasga said in a press conference: “Unfortunately, more devotees were blocking the front of the carriage and trying to climb it. So if you notice, our carriage is already tilted toward the front... because of the weight of the people climbing aboard.”
The Dungaw at Plaza del Carmen occurred after 24 hours, and the andas briefly stopped at San Sebastian Church around 4:30 a.m. due to fatigue among medical personnel, as informed by the Department of Health. However, it resumed after 5 a.m. due to devotees' determination.
Two devotee deaths were recorded during the procession, plus one photojournalist, Itoh Son, who collapsed while covering the event; possibly a heart attack amid flu symptoms. Thousands of medical cases, including cuts, dizziness, and more, were treated. Fr. Ramon Jade Licuanan appealed for prayers: “I would like to ask and appeal to everyone to say a little prayer that the number of casualties will not increase.”
Fr. Robert Arellano reported 1,700 medical cases, two being deaths. The Traslacion commemorates the statue's arrival from Mexico in the 1600s, believed to have survived a fire.
