The yearly solemn foot procession in Cebu City is definitely one of the many amazing things that I get to personally experience and see as a Cebuano living in the city. Attended by millions and held a day before the Sinulog Grand Parade, the solemn foot procession is a showcase of the rich Cebuano culture as well as the Cebuanos’ undying devotion to the Santo Nino de Cebu.
Solemn Foot Procession 2020
This year, since I didn’t leave Cebu during the entire Sinulog season, I made sure to cover this massive event and take photos of the important scenes that gave (and still does give) me goosebumps. Take a look!
The long solemn foot procession usually starts at 1 in the afternoon. Attracting millions of devotees from all parts of the world, the procession begins at the Basilica in the downtown area. Then, it traces some of the city’s biggest and busiest streets like N. Bacalso Avenue, V. Rama Avenue, Osmena Boulevard, and Juan Luna Street.
Due to the number of participants, the procession can be quite slow. In fact, in the past, the procession can last up to six hours! The photo below, which was taken at around 3 pm, shows that the head of the procession hasn’t even reached the Fuente area yet.
I really love how clean and pretty Osmena Boulevard looks from this angle. Also, I really appreciate the fact that devotees can be seen patiently waiting on the side of the road for the start of the parade.
Finally, at around 3:00 pm, this group of cops on motorbikes arrived in the Fuente area.
The cops were followed by altar boys in black and white.
The group is led by this boy who was carrying the cross.
Following close behind were the different groups and church associations that help make the yearly event possible.
An Ocean of Devotees
They were then followed closely by the millions of devotees who patiently marched slowly and quietly towards the Basilica.
At around 3:30 pm, the carro carrying the image of Saint Joseph finally arrived in Fuente Osmena.
At around 4:00 pm, the carro carrying the image of Nuestra Señora dela Consolacion y Correa also arrived in the area.
The two carriages were both followed by thousands of devotees silently marching towards the Basilica.
One of the scenes that I always look forward to is that of the crowd waving in unison while singing the Bato Balani sa Gugma. As expected, I wasn’t disappointed. The view was unbelievable!
The Passing of the Nino
After what seemed like an eternity, the crowd started began to look more packed. This was a pretty obvious indication – the Nino was finally here.
The security barricade which protected the image was followed by a super-tight crowd of devotees. Take a look!
Take a look at this video of the 2020 Solemn Foot Procession:
