Re-routing scheme for Black Nazarene

Traffic is expected to be at a standstill tomorrow as thousands of devotees flock to the Quiapo Basilica to celebrate the feast of the miraculous Black Nazarene.

At 1:30 p.m. today, a pre-celeberation barangay parade will pass Plaza del Carmen, Bilibid Viejo, Raon, Mendoza, R. Hidalgo, Carcer, Concepcion Aguila, Legarda, Arlegui, Barbosa, Carlos Palanca, P. Gomez, Ronquillo, Sales, Soler, Evangelista, Gil Puyat, Quezon Boulevard and ends up in Plaza Miranda. Traffic is expected to be heavy.

Western Police District Traffic Enforcement Office chief Senior Superintendent Gil de Castro advised commuters and motorists not to pass said areas to prevent inconvenience.

A Grand Brass Band parade shall usher in the celebration tomorrow at 7 a.m. The religious procession will start at 2 p.m. when the Black Nazarene will be brought out of the Quiapo Basilica.

The procession shall start from Plaza Miranda and shall pass through the streets of Villalobos, Carlos Palanca, P. Gomez, P. Paterno, Quezon Boulevard, Globo de Oro, Gunao, Arlegui, Fraternal, Vergara, Duque de Alba, Castillejos, Farnecio, Concepcion Aguila, Carcer, R. Hidalgo, Bilibid Viejo, Gil Puyat, Mendoza, R. Hidalgo and Barbosa.

De Castro said all street intersections along the route of the parade and procession shall be manned by traffic policemen and traffic enforcers of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to ensure order.

Traffic officers shall direct vehicles on where to pass during the time of parade and procession, De Castro added.

WPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong will also deploy 500 policemen to ensure the orderly conduct of the parade and procession, where political luminaries and celebrities are expected to join the yearly tradition.