By: Angelica Arquero
While millions of devotees joined the annual Traslacion procession in Manila, several families in Baguio City marked the Feast of the Black Nazarene through personal prayers and quiet devotion on January 8.
One of them was Willie Sevilla, a long-time devotee originally from Isabela, who said his faith remains strong even if he could no longer physically join the procession in Quiapo.
“You may not feel it every day or in a big way, but I believe there is always reciprocation,” Sevilla said, referring to his prayers to the Black Nazarene.
Sevilla shared that he grew up in Quiapo, where he witnessed how the feast was celebrated every January 8.
He said the annual gathering deepened his faith in God and the Black Nazarene.
He added that prayers do not have to be limited to one form, noting that his Catholic upbringing taught him to seek blessings with sincerity and faith.
Now elderly, Sevilla said he could no longer endure the crowds in Quiapo, prompting his family to celebrate the feast in Baguio City instead.
“My fulfillment every January 8 and 9 is that I was with the Black Nazarene. I was close to Him. I can no longer go to Quiapo because it is far from Isabela,” he said.
His wife, Amor Ilusorio, also a devotee who grew up in Quiapo, brought a replica of the Black Nazarene with her when they moved to Baguio decades ago.
She said their family believes their present life is a blessing they attribute to their devotion.
Instead of traveling to Manila, Ilusorio said they chose to keep a replica image at home, which they had made in 1983.
The couple is among many devotees nationwide who commemorated the feast on January 8.
In Manila, the Traslacion procession was held from Luneta to Quiapo Church, drawing more than 200,000 devotees as early as 10 a.m. on Friday morning.
Similar activities were also reported in Northern Samar despite rainy weather.
The Traslacion will be followed by a pontifical mass as part of the celebration, while the traditional kissing of the Black Nazarene at the Quirino Grandstand will continue until January 10.
