Announcement of the Naga Philippines Temple
President Russell M. Nelson, 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced the Naga Philippines Temple on Oct. 2, 2022, during the Sunday afternoon session of October 2022 general conference. A ninth house of the Lord for the Philippines was one of 18 worldwide announced during the conference.
Reflecting on his time as a missionary in the Philippines, Brian Passey of Phoenix, Arizona, expressed his joy over the announcement of temples for two cities in his mission country — Naga City and Santiago. “When I served as a missionary in Naga in the late 1990s, the only temple in the Philippines was in Manila.
“Though Manila and Naga were on the same island, the cost of traveling to Manila was prohibitive for many,” Passey related. “Having a temple in the Bicol Region will be a great blessing for the residents of that beautiful area of the Philippines.”
The islands also known as the Filipinos had the fourth-largest population of Latter-day Saints in the world at the time of the Naga temple’s announcement. The Saints there are known for building “their lives and congregations on the ‘rock of our Redeemer’ (Helaman 5:12), a firm foundation against the troubles of the world.”
Missionary work began in earnest in 1961 in the Philippines. By the end of the decade, the Church had a presence on eight major islands.
Timeline of the Naga Philippines Temple
The Naga Philippines Temple was announced by Church President Russell M. Nelson on Oct. 2, 2022. Details about the temple’s groundbreaking have not yet been released.
Architecture and Design of the Naga Philippines Temple
The Naga Philippines Temple will be built in or near Naga City, in the southeastern region of the island of Luzon. The site location and architectural rendering have not yet been released.