INITIAL RITES Black Nazarene devotees have started flocking to Quiapo Church in Manila to have their icons—and themselves—blessed ahead of the annual mammoth procession known as “traslacion” on Jan. 9, where about 14,000 police officers are being mobilized for security. Photo taken on Friday. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared Jan. 9, Thursday, as a special nonworking day in Manila for the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene.

READ: Nazareno feast: January 9 is special non-working day in Manila

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This was according to Proclamation No. 766 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Friday on Mr. Marcos’ behalf.

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In the proclamation, the President noted that millions of devotees are expected to flock to the Quiapo Church and Manila to venerate the wooden image of the Black Nazarene, which is believed to have miraculous powers.

He also cited the need to ensure the “orderly procession of devotees and to facilitate the flow of traffic” for the yearly “Traslacion,” or the grand procession of the centuries-old statue of the black Jesus Christ in Quiapo, Manila.

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In 2024, the Traslacion drew a maximum of 2.8 million Nazareno devotees along the path of the procession and in Quiapo Church.

IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines, Inc. (IBPAP) chief operating officer Celeste Ilagan said they are “very concerned” about Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 5-2024, which the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) released in January, as it mandates a 25 percent withholding tax and 12 percent value-added tax (VAT) on business entities providing cross-border services.

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