MANILA, Philippines — Roman Catholic devotees of the child Jesus returned to the streets on Sunday for the feast day of the patron of the archdiocese of Tondo.
The religious festivities in Manila's Tondo district coincided with Cebu City's massive street festival, also in honor of the ancient relic of the Sto. Niño, held in-person for the first time after two years of COVID-19 restrictions.
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Authorities estimated 2,000 participants in Tondo's festivities, many of whom carried various images of the kid Christ during the fluvial procession. A few children on Manila's streets also donned the red-and-gold dress of the child in the miraculous wavy-haired image in Cebu—the Philippines' oldest Catholic icon.
The Tondo and Pandacan fiestas were generally peaceful, according to the Manila Police District in a STAR report.
The Holy Mass in Pandacan, meanwhile, saw an estimated 6,000 residents in attendance. — Photos by AFP / Ted Aljibe