From early morning until midday on Saturday, January 17, nearly two million devotees filled the city’s roads for the Sinulog 2026 Solemn Foot Procession honoring the Señor Sto. Niño.
Authorities estimated that around 1.9 million faithful joined the penitential walk, a marked increase from the 1.4 million participants recorded in 2025, according to city officials.
Devotees walked barefoot along the 5.5-kilometer route that began at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu and passed through major roads and surrounding streets.
Under the intense midday heat, participants moved shoulder to shoulder, carrying candles, towels, and images of the Holy Child as expressions of prayer, sacrifice, and thanksgiving.
Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, chair of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC), said crowd density peaked near the basilica and at key convergence points along the route.
The Solemn Foot Procession remains one of the most important religious rites of the Fiesta Señor, symbolizing penitence and gratitude.
It forms part of the larger Sinulog celebration, which includes the Fluvial Procession and historical reenactments marking the arrival of Christianity in Cebu.
Despite weather uncertainty, devotees continued to arrive in large numbers.
Cebu woke up to crimson skies on Saturday morning, a phenomenon often associated with incoming bad weather, but the threat of rain did not deter participants.
Earlier in the day, thousands of faithful from Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu cities lined the coastline to witness the Fluvial Procession held on the eve of the Feast of the Holy Child. More than 420 vessels participated this year, surpassing last year’s count.
Lite Ferries 10 of Cebu-based Lite Shipping Company led the maritime procession as the ceremonial galleon.
The vessel carried the Sagrada Familia, bearing the images of St. Joseph the Worker, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Señor Sto. Niño.
After the foot procession, religious activities continued with the Solemn Vespers Mass at the Santo Niño Pilgrim Center, presided over by Cebu Archbishop-Emeritus Jose S. Palma, DD.
Now in its 461st year, Fiesta Señor 2026 once again drew millions of devotees, reflecting the enduring devotion of Cebuanos and pilgrims who gathered in faith, hope, and gratitude to the Holy Child.
