Almost a million devotees participated in the grand procession of the Feast of the Black Nazarene or the Traslacion, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Thursday.

As of 4 pm, 982,200 devotees joined the procession , the NCRPO Public Information Office told the Daily Manila Shimbun in a Viber message. But it went down to 802, 600 as of 6 pm, the NCRPO said.

The Feast of the Black Nazarene is one of the biggest events in Roman Catholicism in the Philippines. Paraded is the life-sized statue of Jesus Christ holding the cross. Devotees claim that touching the statue could perform miracles or grant one's wishes.

The Traslacion commemorates the transfer of the image of the Black Nazarene from the Recollect Church in Intramuros to its present shrine, Quiapo Church.

The Manila City government has implemented a liquor ban that will be effective until 9 pm while its gun ban will be effective until 10 pm.

Road closures have also been enforced in the areas where the statue will pass.

Around 12, 500 police personnel were deployed to monitor the procession, together with an additional 2,000 personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Metro the Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Jaspearl Tan/DMS