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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider Latter-day Saints opens first temple in Negros Island for public viewing

Latter-day Saints opens first temple in Negros Island for public viewing

Published Apr 17, 2026 04:32 pm
THE newly-built Bacolod Philippines Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is open for visitors from April 16 to May 2, except Sundays, before its formal dedication on May 31. (Glazyl Masculino)
THE newly-built Bacolod Philippines Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is open for visitors from April 16 to May 2, except Sundays, before its formal dedication on May 31. (Glazyl Masculino)
BACOLOD CITY – An imposing structure on the airport access road, the Bacolod Philippines Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), opens its doors to the public from April 16 to May 2.
The 10-day open house, excluding Sundays, introduces the LDS' sixth operating temple in the Philippines and the first in Negros Island.
It is one of the two temples in the Visayas after Cebu which was dedicated in 2010.
“We find this place so sacred for us and we love sharing it to our friends and neighbors. We have this open house to help people come to a greater understanding of what we believe – the very center of the temple is the Savior Jesus Christ," K. Brett Nattress, assistant executive director in the LDS' Temple Department, said in a press statement.
The Bacolod Philippines Temple on the Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road in Barangay Bata will be dedicated on May 31.
Gregorio Horlador Lagaña and Maria Luisa Arnaiz Nain Lagaña will serve as the temple's first president and matron, respectively.
The religious structure, which is 36.1-meters tall and spans 2,591.5-square meters, has exterior and interior patterns that drew inspiration from the Filipino barong shirt designs combined with colors from local flora such as the bird of paradise and native lilies.
It was announced in October 2019 and construction formally began in December 2021.
The building showcases original artworks like “Faithful” by Esther Hi‘ilani Candari and “The Bright Rays of the Sun” by Ken Spencer.
The Philippines is home to over 900,000 LDS in more than 1,300 congregations and has one of the largest populations worldwide.
The church’s roots in the country date back to 1946 with the baptism of first Filipino convert Aniceta Fajardo. The Philippines’ first temple was dedicated in Manila in 1984. (With a report from PNA)

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