AN ESTIMATED 1.9 million devotees joined the 5.5-kilometer Solemn Foot Procession on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. The procession commenced at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño at 1 p.m., following a route through D. Jakosalem, Magallanes, A. Borromeo, Leon Kilat, J. Alcantara, V. Rama Ave. and B. Rodriguez, before returning via Osmeña Blvd.
Attendance saw a significant increase from the 1.4 million recorded last year. Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, reported that this year’s crowd surpassed 1.9 million.
As early as 2 p.m., thousands of devotees began gathering at the Basilica’s Pilgrim Center to await the return of the image of the Señor Sto. Niño. Along Osmeña Blvd., devotee Natasha Belloc told SunStar Cebu that this year’s procession felt more organized and cleaner than in previous years. She noted that senior citizens were more encouraged to participate due to the visible presence of medics and volunteers.
“The reason I never miss this tradition is because when I gave birth to my son, he almost died. This is my way of saying thank you,” Belloc said.
Other participants shared similar stories of deep faith. Genetes Jarina expressed that her attendance is a lifelong commitment after a prayer for her health was answered — a potentially cancerous illness was later diagnosed as negative. Meanwhile, 75-year-old Rosita Mercide, who has joined the procession since the 1960s, said her prayer has remained simple: for her family to stay healthy and never go hungry.
The carroza carrying the image of the Señor Sto. Niño returned to the Basilica at 3:27 p.m., nearly four hours after the procession began. Authorities reported no untoward incidents during the event. / BKA