Traslacion (2015-2017)

Traslacion Frederick Deserva

Traslacion 2015-2017

At the geographic center of Manila lies

Quiapo, the third congressional district of the Philippine city. More commonly associated by locals and foreigners alike with all the cheap wares you can buy under the sun, Quiapo, by its nature, resists any attempts at neat categorization and logical order. That’s why it’s rather surprising, especially to the uninitiated traveler, that the district has kept alive — and for a very long time — a history of fervent religious devotion.

From the surging crowds that flock to Quiapo Church to receive mass every Sunday to the numerous stalls selling small statues of saints and other paraphernalia, Quiapo does not run out of religious curiosities to feast one’s eyes on.

And if these occasions were not proof enough, the traveler only has to visit Quiapo on the ninth of January. On this day every year, millions of extremely devout Filipino Roman Catholics, recently quoted to the figures of six to eight million strong, take part in the procession known as the Feast of the Black Nazarene or the Traslacion.

The project, in which I started 2 years ago, is a collection of images that aims to document the greatest show of faith in modern history, unparalleled anywhere else in the world in its zeal and Its practice of faith, that is often mixes with pagan and multicultural past.

Š Frederick Deserva 2017