Bacolod Philippines Temple
The Bacolod Philippines Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson on 5 October 2019, at the 189th semiannual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Bacolod Philippines Temple will be the seventh temple built in the Philippines and the second built in the Visayas, following the Cebu City Philippines Temple (2010).
More than 805,000 Latter-day Saints in approximately 1,200 congregations reside in the Philippines. Known as "The City of Smiles," Bacolod is the second most populous city in the Visayas following Cebu City. It is located on Negros Island in Western Visayas and is the capital of the Negros Occidental province. The Saints of Bacolod were all smiles when plans for the temple were announced. There are currently three stakes in Bacolod with a total of nine stakes and four districts on the island. Members of the Church on Negros Island currently travel to the island of Cebu to participate in temple ordinances at the Cebu City Philippines Temple.
On 6 October 2021, the location for the Bacolod Philippines Temple was announced as a 12.3-acre site located on Bacolod Airport Access Road, north of Buri Road. The single-story temple will be approximately 26,700 square feeet. An 18,000-square-foot ancillary building — which will include patron housing, an arrival center, and a distribution center — is also planed for the site. Also on 6 October 2021, an official exterior rendering of the Bacolod Philippines Temple was released.
Groundbreaking Announced for the Bacolod Philippines Temple
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced a Saturday, 11 December 2021, groundbreaking for the Bacolod Philippines Temple.
Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Philippines Area, will preside at the event. As reported by Newsroom, attendance at the event will be by invitation only.
