MANILA, Philippines - The Traslacion of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo Manila left 23 truckloads of trash or about 276 tons, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Thursday.
According to Francis Martinez, head of the MMDA's Metro Parkway Clearing Group, the trash collected composed mainly of plastic food wrappers, empty mineral water bottles and barbecue sticks.
Martinez said the barbecue sticks left on the streets along the procession's route could have contributed to the injuries Thursday.
According to Martinez, the clearing operation was swift as the MMDA personnel followed the main bulk of the procession.
"We begin clearing as soon as the procession moves along. The dump truck is also nearby," he said.
The MMDA, said Martinez, deployed 2,000 personnel for the Traslacion. These included street sweepers, traffic enforcers and emergency paramedics.