A LARGER crowd is expected to join this year’s grand procession of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary La Naval de Manila on Oct. 12 because of the stronger backing of the Quezon City government, a member of the Santo Domingo parish said.
Santo Domingo’s promotions committee head Br. Jhim Española Sambrano, O.P. said attendance could exceed last year’s 225,000 as the city government has been more active in promoting the feast.
“Last year, the PNP tallied around 225,000 people for the whole day of the Grand Fiesta. But since the City Government has been lending more support in promoting the Fiesta this year, we expect more than even that,” Sambrano told The Flame.
He also cited the local government’s stronger social media campaigns and collaborative works that have helped attract more devotees.
“There are frequent posts about the activities of La Naval de Manila on the platform,” he said, noting that the consistent updates have helped spark interest in the event.
Sambrano added that procession organizers have worked with groups behind El Recorrido, the annual visitation of the image of Our Lady of La Naval to Quezon City’s six districts, and have mounted exhibits that provide spaces for introducing the devotion to a wider audience.
According to him, this year’s theme, “Mary: Bearer of Hope,” aligns with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Hope, portraying the Blessed Virgin Mary as the one who carries Jesus—the ultimate source of hope—to the faithful.
“We can see in the image of Our Lady of La Naval that she holds Jesus in her hands. More than anything, Jesus is the hope we all cherish,” he said.
Held every second Sunday of October, the procession honors Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary La Naval de Manila, whose intercession is credited for the
victory of Filipino and Spanish forces over the militarily superior Dutch invaders in the 17th century. Before the second world war, the religious tradition was observed in Intramuros, the original site of the Santo Domingo Church.
It is one of the oldest and largest Marian processions in the Philippines. F — with reports from Rovy Jilyn Fraginal
