• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inviting the public to tour its newly-completed Bacolod Philippines Temple along the Bacolod-Silay Access Road in Barangay Bata, from April 16 to May 2.
Elder K. Brett Nattress, General Authority Seventy of the Church, said at the media tour April 13, that the open house in the next 14 days, except on Sundays, is for free and open to individuals and families of all faiths, with no reservations needed.
“We love sharing the temple, the house of the Lord, a place that is sacred to us, with the Savior Jesus Christ as its very center and focus,” Nattress stressed. “The open house will take people through the temple and, perhaps, help them come to a great understanding of what we believe in and what we hold sacred in the Church.”
Each guided tour will last for about 45 minutes, and will allow visitors to explore the temple facilities and learn about the various sacred structures, the Church said. “The open house provides a unique and rare opportunity for community members of all backgrounds to walk through the interior of a Latter-day Saint temple as this experience will not be available again once the building is dedicated.”
The Bacolod temple will be dedicated on May 31, and will then be reserved exclusively for members of the Church. Expected to serve thousands of members throughout Negros Island and in neighboring areas, this most sacred edifice will be the sixth Latter-day Saint temple in the country, and the second in the Visayas region after the Cebu Philippines Temple dedicated in 2010. The other temples are Manila, Urdaneta in Pangasinan, Alabang, and Davao that will be dedicated on May 3.
The single-storey Bacolod temple spans about 2,480 square meters and stands on a 12.3-acre, or close to five hectares, property. It features a domed cupola with metallic diamond shingles, backlit art glass, decorative urns, deep cornices, subtle curves, and ornate window casings, reflecting both classical beauty and the spiritual significance of the building, the Church said.
Similar to other structures all over the world, the Bacolod edifice includes a baptistry, instruction rooms, and sealing rooms, spaces dedicated to the sacred ordinances performed within Latter-day Saint temples.
Aside from the main temple structure, an ancillary building of about 1,672 square meters was also constructed on the property with patron accommodations and an arrival center to ensure that members traveling from distant areas can be served with comfort and convenience, the Church added.
With 14 temples announced, under construction, or operating, the Philippines is home to 910,000 Latter-day Saints members since the first few missionaries came in 1961. | CGC
