Thousands of devotees line up for 'pahalik' before Traslacion

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 7) — Thousands of devotees joined the traditional touching of the image of the Black Nazarene known as the “pahalik” on Saturday at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.

The Quiapo Church said the pahalik started at 7:00 pm Saturday and it will last until Jan. 10, the day after the Traslacion.

Some devotees have already gathered since Friday to gain a headstart in the long queue for the pahalik.

As of 12 noon on Sunday, the Manila Police District (MPD) said the crowd at the Quirino Grandstand has eased to about 200 devotees while the Quiapo Church now has some 20,000 devotees.

«Iyong word na ‘pahalik’ lamang, 'yun po 'yung term na ginagamit namin sa Quiapo… Binago po 'yun nung nakaraan na ‘pagpupugay.’ Ibig sabihin, ginagalang natin sa pamamagitan ng pagpupugay sa kanya at paghawak sa imahe ng Poong Nazareno,» Quiapo Church Liturgy Coordinator Adrian Hapa explained.

[Translation: The word ‘pahalik’ or kissing is only a term used by the Quiapo Church to refer to the activity. We changed it last time to ‘pagpupugay’ or paying respects because the activity highlights giving respect to the Black Nazarene.]

The Catholic church reiterated on Sunday that devotees with non-transparent bags will not be allowed entry to designated areas. They were also reminded to be wary of their belongings.

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«So far, wala naman tayong natatanggap [we are not seeing any threats] but we are not keeping our guards down. Tuloy-tuloy ang pagmo-monitor natin [we are constantly monitoring the situation],» Manila Police District Director PCol Arnold Ibay said on Saturday.

He added that they would implement stiffer crowd monitoring to ensure public safety during the feast of the Black Nazarene.

CNN Philippines' correspondents Daniza Fernadez and Agatha Gregorio contributed to this story.