300,000 Marian devotees join Walk with Mary procession

The image of the Our Lady of Guadalupe arrives at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño after the dawn Walk with Mary on Jan. 17, 2020. |CDND Photo / Morexette Marie Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines — There were at least 300,000 Marian devotees who took part in the Walk with Mary procession that started in Fuente Osmeña Rotunda and ended at the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño at dawn this Friday, January 17, 2020.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Frankie Lugo, ground commander for the procession, said that the number of people who attended this year’s procession was about the same number to the attendees of last year’s Walk with Mary, a dawn procession that forms an integral part of the Fiesta Señor celebration, the religious core of the Sinulog Festival.

Lugo said they did not have a hard time controlling the large crowd as all were cooperative when being asked to move to the side when the image of the Our Lady of Guadalupe passed by.

Despite the mammoth crowd, Lugo said the procession was “generally peaceful” and no crimes were reported even up to this time.

Lugo said the security measures for the procession was a success and commended the efforts of the policemen who were alert in securing their assigned post.

“Yung preparation natin, we really planned for it,” said Lugo.

(We really planned and prepared for the event.)

At least 1,000 policemen were positioned along Osmeña Boulevard all the way to the Basilica  where the procession ended with Mass and where another big crowd awaited the arrival of the Our of Lady of Guadalupe image. /elb