Inocencio, Jeremiah M.

Communication, Culture and Society

BAJ 1-1D Prof. Nikki Fabon

Traslacion ng Poon sa Quiapo: An Observer’s Perspective

After eight days of festive revelry in celebrating the New Year, the devotees of
the Black Nazarene turn the streets of Quiapo, Manila into a sea of gold and maroon to
conduct the “traslacion”, or the annual procession held in commemoration of the
transfer of the centuries-old image of the Black Nazarene from the old district of
Intramuros to Quiapo Church.

One could tell that every traslacion is a feat both the leaders of the Church and
the devotees can claim. It is an achievement that they offer to God for his continuous
providence and mercy. This shared belief is visibly depicted and practiced in a massive
and collective action which not all personalities, organizations, or groups can
accomplish or attain, as it takes a compelling force to successfully assemble an
immense number of people together in a single place. It strengthens the statement that
the popular devotion to the Black Nazarene of Quiapo can be compared to that of the
Santo Nino, and the depth of faith the devotees and believers have which they direct
towards God is manifested in various means. Thus, we must take into account their
experiences that molded them to be strong on their belief in order for us to have a better
understanding of their behavior. We are very much aware that their firm devotion is a
form of thanksgiving for all the miracles and blessings that they received on their lifetime
and for the prosperous and healthy life that they and their families enjoyed. They also
regard it as a form of sacrifice and repentance for their sins and wrongdoings, and a
passionate expression of hope that their succeeding days may be filled with the graces
of success, guidance, and prosperity according to God’s will.

The said image of Christ carrying the cross on his way to Golgotha is surrounded
by many stories and narratives propagated by the different sectors of society. Every
person involved has their own unique and personal reason with regards to their
participation and adherence to that belief.

For the devotee and church people, the image is an object of faith where prayers
are offered and must be given appropriate honor and veneration owing to its religious
character. Also, they are reminded by the priests and religious leaders to reflect on the
message embodied not only by the traslacion, but also by Christ in his teachings. Some
of them may have been in their “panata” since their younger days because of their
relatives’ influence and experience as servers inside the Quiapo Church. To be
particular, there are church-based organizations namely; MBBN, CENTRAL, BASILICA,
NPJN, BUKLURAN, and ANPON or simply, the “Hijos de Nazareno” who are assigned
to protect and take care of the image whenever it leaves the basilica. Large community-
based groups called “balangay” are also formed by the devotees who bring along their
own image of the suffering Christ placed in a float during the procession. Inside the
Church hierarchy, the parish priest of Quiapo heads the affairs concerning pastoral
affairs. He is assisted by a number of priests including the parochial vicars. They are
responsible for officiating masses, planning and coordinating with the government and
other insitutions in conducting church activities in the community. During the traslacion,
they are referred as the “alpha” level that deals with matters within the scope and
mandate of the church in the community level.

On the part of the government, the Mayor of Manila is recognized as the

“Hermano Mayor” of the feast. Being the city mayor, he or she is largely responsible for
the efficient, safe, and successful conduct of the traslacion because of his
administrative power. As part of the preparations before the big day, inter-institutional
meetings and planning sessions are held between the city government, church officials,
Philippine National Police, and emergency response organizations. Protocols and
operations for the smooth passage of the procession such as clearing the streets of
obstruction, deploying manpower and other resources to their respective designations,
and monitoring the flow of the event is the city government’s main task. Police and
military personnel, and emergency responders are also assigned on conspicuous areas
to provide immediate response when needed.

Experts in the field of academics, in the persona of social scientists, also have
their part in this tradition. Aside from writing and studying the historical background of
the event, their analysis of the massive crowd’s behavior contextualizes the event from
beyond what is perceived to be as chaotic, fanatical, disruptive, and disorderly. Their
scholarly works could explain in layman’s term the choreographed social phenomenon
characterized by traslacion, branching and evolving from its religious and historical
nature and how it relates to our cultural identity and communal psyche.

These findings are then spread through various communication platforms by

media workers who immerse themselves in this event to tell the story of everyone who
are involved. They work together with the experts to re-tell the history of this frenzied
feast and the belief that inspires people to take part on it; they share the latest
information from the government and church officials so that the people may not only
know about the recent news, but also to guide them in preparing for what must be
expected on the day of the event; and through the accounts of the involved people that
they share and disseminate, we get to have an additional and improved insight on what
this traslacion is really all about.

The continuous cooperation, interaction, and coordination between these

different sectors of the society helps to make the devotion grow stronger and the crowd
get bigger because more people are becoming drawn, aware, and curious, or inspired
by the testimonies of those who had the personal encounter with the Senor and the
traslacion. Undoubtedly, communication performs a key role in mustering support,
contributing knowledge, and educating the people about the various interesting facets of
society.

The role of communication becomes highly significant for the culture to sustain its
longevity. By doing so, it enables the future generations to get a glimpse of it or even
have a first-hand experience of the said culture. It helps to preserve the distinct
elements that make the culture unique and noteworthy among other cultures. Once
culture forms part of a memory, this experience helps the person to form his or her own
belief with regards to it. He or she may pass this culture towards the younger member of
the community and influence them to follow until it becomes a tradition, or a way of life.

To cite certain examples regarding the culture of traslacion and devotion to the
Black Nazarene, the historical background, the words “andas”, “mamamasan”, “sampa”,
“salang”, “balangay”, “estandarte”, “salya”, “vicario”, “callejero”, “otso”, “caridad”,
“pasyon” and many other terms; the names of streets where the procession route takes
place; the names of the people who spearhead the management of this event; the
personal encounter of every believer or devotee with the Black Nazarene, everything
that is related or concerned with the culture is embodied in communication which makes
it possible to be spread, shared, and preserved for the participants to remember and
practice regularly, repeatedly, or consistently. An ideal result would tell us that every
member remembers and knows all of these words and terms. But what remains are the
key aspects or concepts that were able to reach the essence of the people’s minds and
affections. The practice may have started during the Spanish colonial period, or may
have traces of our polytheistic and animistic past, but it continues to live on; and it will
continue to live and thrive as long there exists a firm belief and shared understanding
and an active manifestation of this belief as lived by the members of this culture.
Otherwise, this culture will die or change if the “senders” or “messengers” who will pass
on the message would cease to exist.

On the other hand, the culture affects communication in a manner that the
important aspects and elements are preserved or in such a way that the integrity and
unique characteristics of this culture are left largely unmodified or uncompromised. The
cultural aspect must be kept and maintained as the standard to ensure that inaccuracies
and inconsistent revisions are vetted out. A change in the culture will also bear changes
on its narrative. Otherwise, the introduction of an innovation would also largely change
the character this culture is known for.

In addition, viewing and observing the activity into its proper context minimizes
misconceptions and encourages an insightful analysis and examination of the event. By
doing so, comments are not solely based on a person’s subjective interpretation of the
event. When it is combined with the guidelines or conventions of the culture, it may lead
to a better understanding between two different minds. Furthermore, it lessens the risk
of breaching customs or offending members who belong to a certain culture. Stimulating
change in a person’s perspective may not be an easy task, but presenting factual
observations, findings, or recommendations within proper context may present an
opportunity to settle and compromise differences.

Referring again on the case at hand, the shorter duration of the procession that
lasted only for about 16 hours and the devotees’ reaction about the tighter security
measure is a noteworthy observation for this year’s traslacion. This was made possible
because of the new interventions imposed which are said to impose solemnity and
order on the procession. If one would take time to research the previous years of
traslacion, many changes have been introduced and could be distinguished from what
is known today. But the devotees who have been engaged in the practice for the past
decades, this change puts them in a distance away from the image of Christ; the object
of their devotion and veneration. The police barrier is seen not as a protector but a
hindrance, and the disciplinary measures comes as a form of suppression of their faith
and devotion.

I first saw the “traslacion” during my early elementary school days, when my
mother brought me near the Metropolitan Theater to catch a glimpse of the crowd that
we usually see on television. Several years later, we joined the traslacion again just to
observe and feel what it is like to be on the ground. That was in 2013. Since then, we
have been watching the andas to move in the sea of maroon and gold, amid waving
towels and the echoing chant of “viva!”. The stories told by the devotees and the
pictures captured and shown by media have become a part of the Black Nazarene’s
history, as well as the beliefs and customs that surround it. The way how these stories
are presented captures the aspect of humanity that enables us to create and pursue a
sense of belongingness and inclusion.

Undeniably, communication is an inevitable activity that encompasses age,

gender, and belief. It is a powerful tool that can have a good impact or leave damages
depending on its use. As a significant artifact of the development of many civilizations,
communication must, and always be used to facilitate mutual understanding. Culture,
being a descriptive term for the shared language, belief, customs, or practices of a
certain group, has features embedded into communication which makes it a human
activity. It shapes how a society moves and behaves through time. In return,
communication helps to sustain the life of this culture until a new wave emerges as
directed by the changing needs of a community. The dynamics of communication is,
and will always be a part of a culture’s dynamics.