Page 223 - Proceeding of Atrans Young Researcher's Forum 2019_Neat

“Transportation for A Better Life:
Smart Mobility for Now and Then”

23 August 2019, Bangkok, Thailand

ANALYSIS OF THE BLACK NAZARENE PROCESSION
IN THE CITY OF MANILA

Topic number: 09 Paper Identification number: AYRF2019-033
1
Darius DIAMANTE , Rex APAD , John FERRER , Alerik RUIZ , Alexis FILLONE
2
5
3
4

1 Department of Civil Engineering
De La Salle University Manila
E-mail: darius_diamante@dlsu.edu.ph

2 Department of Civil Engineering
De La Salle University Manila
E-mail: rex_apad@dlsu.edu.ph

3 Department of Civil Engineering
De La Salle University Manila
E-mail: john_paul_ferrer@dlsu.edu.ph

4 Department of Civil Engineering
De La Salle University Manila
E-mail: alerik_ruiz@dlsu.edu.ph

5 Department of Civil Engineering
De La Salle University Manila
E-mail: alexis.fillone@dlsu.edu.ph

Abstract
The Philippines is a predominantly Roman Catholic country where the acclaimed Black Nazarene
Procession is often celebrated on a massive scale. The dynamic religious gathering attracts a high volume of
devotees that generate extreme crowd densities, making injuries and fatalities almost inevitable. Despite the
rising threat to pedestrian health and safety, limited studies have evaluated the pedestrian dynamics of similar
nature to the event. Through providing a systematic evaluation of the pedestrian behavior during the event,
the study aims to develop pedestrian management tools and policies which can be used to improve the risk
management planning for the Black Nazarene procession. With the obtained videographic survey, a static
grid analysis was utilized to characterize the actual pedestrian densities during the event. It was determined
that the density, aggressiveness, and group formation of the pedestrians highly influence the dynamics of the
procession. A method which can systematically estimate the total number of active participants during the
procession was developed. Moreover, it was discovered that relationships existed between the road width
along the procession route, the duration of stoppage to traverse period ratio of the procession along a road
segment, and the pedestrian level of aggressiveness. By evaluating these relations, plausible policies were
identified which, when applied, may reduce the risks to the pedestrian devotees in the event.

Keywords: mass gathering, pedestrian safety, dynamic movement, macroscopic analysis, pedestrian
dynamics, religious gathering

1. Introduction Filipino Catholics have a unique way of
In the world, Philippines is the third-largest worshipping, where they are known for sincere,
Catholic population, corresponding to 75 million enormous, and extreme expressions of piety (France-
Catholics in the country (Barooah, 2017). According Presse, 2017). The procession of the Black Nazarene
to Cheney (2005), the Philippines is the only Asian is a Filipino Catholic tradition that portrays the
country where 81.03% of the population is Catholic. crucifixion of Jesus Christ with a life-sized statue of

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