The shrine of the Holy Child was recognized as a Provincial Chapter by the Spanish Augustinian friars of Luzon on May 3, 1572, with Alonzo Alvarado, OSA becoming its official parish priest and director.

Coincidentally, after the image was stolen, the country was struck by one of the worst weather-related disasters in Philippine history, Typhoon Gloring.

Then-President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr ordered the urgent reconstruction of the desecrated image, which was entrusted to renowned sculptor and santero Máximo Vicente.

Niño of Tondo is borne to the sea by a dancing crowd among which groups of women in pastora hats, or in katipuneda attire: white camisa, red saya.

On the pagoda the dancing continues but the trip has also become a picnic as the good old custom of caridad showers forth bags of biscuits and baskets of native oranges.

The voyage ends at the landing in the Velasquez and Pritil, densest tenement of Tondo is even livelier because folks back from school or works join in the merriment and besides, it's always more fun to dance under the stars than under the sun.

"The fiesta of the Santo Niño de Tondo has since been called the “Labayaw Festival”, a portmanteau of the Tagalog words lakbáy (“journey”) and sayáw (“dance”).