Crowded places always pose danger. And with the usual turnout of people in Quiapo, Manila, during the annual translacion of the Black Nazarene, those who intend to participate in the mass and the procession should be doubly careful.

In the past years, not a few devotees got hurt, fainted, got trampled, and there were some who unfortunately died because of accidents during the procession on the said commemoration. In addition, there were also people who lost their valuables to thieves and pickpockets who took advantage of the huge crowd.

So for those who are planning to attend the event, especially the first-timers, here are some tips to make your commemoration of the translacion with less worries.

• Be alert. There will be a huge wave of people, so there will be a lot of pushing.
• Don’t bring valuables, as they might only get lost or stolen.
• As much as possible, don’t bring children with you, so you don’t have anyone to look after. If you can’t leave your kid(s) at home, ensure that they have IDs complete with address and a contact person so it would be easy to be reunited with them in case they get lost. Also try to find a safe place for you and your kids to stay at the venue.
• Know the route of the procession, so you will know the narrow roads the procession will pass.
• Bring bottled water to keep yourself hydrated.
• For those who are just going to witness the procession, it is advisable for them to just go directly to the church and wait for the procession to arrive to make the streets less congested.
• Lastly, people who are pregnant, have hypertension, get easily dehydrated, and have difficulty in breathing are discouraged from joining the procession.