If there is anything the yearly swarm of maroon that floods Manila streets and byways should tell you, it is that Filipino Catholics, the devotees of the Black Nazarene image in particular, are intense in their devotion — or should we say, “devoted to their intents?”

It should really be no surprise that some two million are expected to fill the streets, rain or shine, when the statue is transported from Intramuros to its home in Quiapo Church in the annual Traslacion. Even before the three-year hiatus on this oft-chaotic ritual, the activity always drew hundreds of thousands to the million or two.

The most avid or fervent among these even spend the night waiting at a chosen prime spot, the best that one may angle for to get as close to the Nazarene as possible.

Touching the statue or wiping some cloth on it to keep it until the next chance to wipe it again is the prime goal. Anything related to the Black Nazarene is treasured, held in awe, and with immense care.

This is because devotees believe the statue has miraculous healing powers.

Even the ropes attached to it are said to “heal previously incurable ailments and bring good fortune…” says one article among countless articles.

If you ask me, what is a true miracle is the faith that keeps us all hanging on, year in and year out.

We never quite reach the end of our rope, even with perennial issues hounding our nation, affecting our communities and, eventually, our families. Somehow, faith holds us together and keeps us holding on, no matter what.

Perhaps it is only fitting that the latest Pulse Asia survey released mere days before the Traslacion gives us another look at what has mostly kept many Filipinos in the throes of prayer day in and day out.

While the survey says our top officials have not suffered much of a dent in their trust ratings — in fact, most of them have notched up a number or two — people on the ground may have simply dismissed the idea that there can ever be anything new in their landscape.

Pulse Asia stated: “Public opinion regarding the trustworthiness of the top national government officials hardly changed between September 2023 and December 2023, both at the national level and across sub-groupings.”

Do we give them kudos for the fact that life, as well, has “hardly changed” for many they purport to serve?

Among the key issues the country went through in the weeks leading up to the survey, some things stick out, among them the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as the increasing aggressions from China in the West Philippine Sea, which are making many Filipinos worried about what the future holds.

Artificial tensions notwithstanding, the natural calamities rocking different parts of the world, such as earthquakes, leave many feeling unprepared for the unexpected. How safe do we feel in our spaces? What threats, perceived from afar and felt under our very feet, are keeping us awake at night?

Is it still Covid, or jeepney strikes? The price of goods, the cost of education? The national debt, the dying planet? The belief is that nothing is getting better, only much worse. And we say this about the quality of air and water, the attitude towards corruption, and the continued passiveness toward age-old problems we could have surpassed if only we had truly listened to our own prayers.

And speaking of shaky grounds and temblors in our midst, we must contend with political and economic issues that do pop up now and then, shaking us out of any equilibrium we may have enjoyed.

There are pressures within and without that, we can be quite certain, and also affect our topmost officials, theirs being the hands holding the reins to our future.

And so, we keep making our way toward Quiapo every ninth of January, fervent in our devotion, praying for miracles so our lives will change.