The tradition of "dawn masses" dates back to the seventeenth century. It was introduced by Mexican missionaries who arrived in the Philippines following the Spanish army. The monks celebrated the function at four in the morning when the cock crowed announcing the new day. This enabled farmers to attend Mass before work on the rice plantations. The practice, once daily, has down the centuries turned a greeting of the world to the "new day" brought by the birth of Christ, focusing on nine days before Christmas. The novena pays particular attention to the figure of the Virgin Mary, to whom we owe the birth of the Savoir.

In addition to sharing moments of prayer, tradition has it that the faithful eat together traditional foods made from rice at the end of the mass. This year the practice has been used to help the people affected by the floods. The Archdiocese of Manila and seven other dioceses have organized together with Caritas various initiatives such as' Hapag - Asa "(Table of Hope), a collection of money and basic necessities for distribution to displaced people after the mass. At the request of many faithful of the parishes have also activated a service of "adoption" which gives refugee families the opportunity to receive a daily sustenance.