Cagayan de Oro sees dwindling Traslacion crowd, disrupted livelihoods

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Dodong Napoco wandered the crowded streets of Cagayan de Oro on Thursday morning, January 9, a bundle of handkerchiefs tucked under his arm. For years – except during the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions – the 51-year-old street vendor relied on the annual Traslacion to sell handkerchiefs to devotees of the Black Nazarene. This year, however, sales were dismal.

“I used to sell 100 handkerchiefs during the Traslacion. This morning, I sold only 40 pieces,” Napoco said, disappointment clear in his voice.

Handkerchiefs, traditionally purchased to wipe the replica of the Black Nazarene – a revered life-sized image of Christ brought to the Philippines by Augustinian Recollect missionaries in 1606 – had once been an easy sell. But this year felt different.

The decline began in 2023 even when lingering health restrictions made Cagayan de Oro the sole host of the procession in the country after Manila canceled Quiapo’s. That was the last time Traslacion crowds exceeded 100,000 in Cagayan de Oro.

Napoco had his own theory about the dwindling turnout. “The tight security around the carriage icon of the Black Nazarene,” he said, adding that it disrupted the event’s traditions.

Critics echoed his sentiments. Vendors like Marites Fernandez, who usually sold various items near the Nazareno Church, opted out this year. “When I heard about the security restrictions, I decided to stop. It’s no longer worth the effort,” she said.

The heightened security measures at this year’s Traslacion were a carryover from January 2024, following the December 3, 2023 bombing in Marawi City, roughly 100 kilometers away. The attack, which targeted a Catholic Mass, claimed four lives and injured dozens, prompting authorities to maintain stricter protocols for the 2024 procession.

The stricter measures reshaped Cagayan de Oro’s Traslacion – what was once a chaotic but deeply meaningful display of devotion felt subdued, its energy diminished.

The changes also hurt vendors selling religious items such as miniature Black Nazarene statues, handkerchiefs, and other religious items near the Nazareno Church. 

Lieutenant Colonel Nerfe Valmoria, chief of local police operations, ordered them to stay at least 50 meters away from the church as part of security preparations.

For vendors like Napoco, the tighter security meant not just smaller crowds but a direct hit to their livelihood.

As the procession made its way through the city, Napoco weaved through the thinning crowd, clutching his unsold handkerchiefs. The faithful moved on, but for vendors like him, the weight of this year’s Traslacion lingered even after the event had ended.

Wenceslao Salcedo of the Hijos del Nazareno de Cagayan de Oro blamed “excessive” police security for the smaller crowds. He said the heavy police presence around the Black Nazarene carriage prevented devotees from getting close to the icon.

“It’s now a Traslacion for the policemen,” Salcedo said.

The numbers reflected the decline. Cagayan de Oro City Police Office spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Evan Viñas reported only 13,000 devotees, far below the 20,000 anticipated during security planning. The city’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office chief, Nick Jabagat, provided a similar estimate.

Monsignor Perseus Cabunoc, parish priest of the Nazareno Church, pointed to additional factors. He noted that nearby areas like Iligan City, Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon, and Tagum City in Davao del Norte had started holding their own Black Nazarene processions.

“Devotees from these areas used to come here. Why should they travel now when they have their own procession?” Cabunoc said.

The parish’s outreach efforts during the pandemic played a role. During the two-year hiatus, the Nazareno Church sent replicas of the life-sized Black Nazarene, or Nuestro Padre de Jesus Nazareno, to various parishes in Mindanao, allowing devotees to celebrate locally.

Cabunoc also cited waning interest among younger parishioners, whom he said were more captivated by technology than by religious rites. – Rappler.com