The goal of each devotee is to touch the holy image of the Black Nazarene as it is paraded in the streets of Manila downtown. Very few were able to do so, as only the most intrepid and most acrobatic can climb the carossa surrounded by the hundreds of thousands of the faithfuls. It came as no surprise that quite a number of devotees sustained injuries, and in the past processions, a few have also been killed in stampede.
Most devotees are contented just by throwing their towels or shirts to the Black Nazarene, so that it could touch the miraculous statue. This despite the fact that the Black Christ being paraded is only a replica of the original statue being kept and highly guarded inside the Minor Basilica of Quiapo. The original is an antique 400-year old statue made of brittle wood that may not survive the ordeal of a whole day procession. Yet, to the devotees, it did not matter. They adored the Senyor Nazareno, replica or genuine, and here they were, summoning their ultimate strength to touch the suffering Christ.
It was, indeed, a game of survival of the fittest. And I was a survivor*.
*My cellphone did not survive, though. As I was following the procession, my cellphone got snatched from my pocket. I did not even feel it. I just realized I no longer had it after the procession. Afterwards, I tried contacting it, and the picpocket even had the guts to reply: "finders keepers".
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