The ‘Traslacion’ ritual
It is usual to see among the crowd hundreds of physically challenged individuals from different walks of life hoping to touch the iconic image and offer their prayers.Among the early birds was a blind couple from Laguna roaming around the cordoned areas. The woman, Jennifer Llagas, 44, a native of San Pedro town, is suffering from brain cancer.
“Unti-unti kasi akong nabubulag. Nasakit ang ulo, nagsusuka ako noong 2013 na. Biglaan, tapos sabi ko pati ‘yung mata ko, parang pag may binabasa ako parang may kulang. So, nagpatingin ako sa tatlong optha , wala silang makita na dahilan bakit ganito ako na nabulag yung isang mata ko, hanggang sabi magpa-CT scan daw ako ng ulo at ayon noong nag-CT scan ako, nakita may bukol,” she said.
In 2014, her doctor told her that if she did not have an operation soon, she could not expect to live longer than four or five years.She has two purposes for attending “Pahalik:” to pray and ask devotees for donations as she is scheduled to undergo a crucial transcranial procedure at the Philippine General Hospital this month, and to find blood donors as she does not have the capacity to pay for the supply from the blood bank.