New Black Nazarene's andas include lights, sound system, CCTV camera

The Quiapo Church on Thursday revealed the design of the new andas or carriage that will carry the Black Nazarene image during the Traslacion procession on January 9.

At a press conference, Black Nazarene Feast 2024 adviser Alex Irasga said that the new andas is a combination of the carriage used in the Peñafrancia procession and the “Popemobile.”

“Ito po ay parang pinagsama natin iyong kinagisnan niyong andas, iyong ginagamit ng Penafrancia at Popemobile (This is a combination of the Peñafrancia carriage and the Popemobile),” Irasga said.

“Ito po ay may metal and glass enclosure katulad ng Popemobile para po walang makadikit dito. Ito po ay may probisyon ng ilaw para po maliwanag kahit gabi, may sound system, at CCTV para po sa monitoring ng ating seguridad,” he added.

(It has a metal and glass enclosure like the Popemobile so no one can get close to it. It has lights for illumination at night, sound system, and a CCTV for security monitoring.)

The design of the new andas aims to protect the Black Nazarene image from damage, Irasga said.

According to him, the glass that encloses the Black Nazarene image is made of thick tempered and laminated glass.

“Kapag nabasag po ay hindi ito malalaking bahagi kundi parang mga butil ng mais. Hindi po ito naghihiwa-hiwalay kahit ito ay nabasag, buo po ang salamin ... at tawag ng iba rito ay laminated tempered glass,” he said.

(If it is broken, it will only shatter into small pieces like corn grains. It will also stay intact. They call it laminated, tempered glass.)

Traslacion is a procession from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church of the 400-year-old black image of Jesus Christ.

The traditional Traslacion, with around 2 million expected participants, was not held in the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Quiapo Church, the route for the Traslacion procession will be as follows:

From Quirino Grandstand:

• Right to Katigbak Drive (left side)
• Right to Padre Burgos St. through Finance Road
• Straight to Ayala Bridge
• Left to Palanca St.
• Right to Quezon Boulevard
• Right to Arlegui Street
• Right to Fraternal Street
• Right to Vergara Street
• Left to Duque de Alba Street
• Left to Castillejos Street
• Left to Farnecio Street
• Right to Arlegui Street
• Left to Nepomuceno Street
• Left to Conception Aguila Street
• Right to Carcer Street
• Right to Hidalgo through Plaza del Carmen
• Left to Bilibid Viejo through Gonzalo Puyat
• Left to J.P. de Guzman Street Right to Hidalgo Street
• Left to Quezon Boulevard
• Right to Palanca St. through under Quezon Bridge
• Right to Villalobos through Plaza Miranda going to Quiapo Church

Other activities during the feast, which is being observed from December 31, 2023 to January 9, 2023, are thanksgiving procession, novena Masses, blessing of replicas, and pahalik or kissing on the Black Nazarene image, among others. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News