Mission guide

Philippines Cebu East Mission

A family guide to the Philippines Cebu East Mission and its home city, Mandaue City.

  • Tagalog
  • Cebuano
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About the mission

The Philippines Cebu East Mission is associated with Mandaue City in the Philippines. Mandaue is part of the urban area of Cebu and is known for industry, furniture making, and connections to Mactan Island.

Missionaries speak Tagalog and Cebuano. Cebuano is widely used in the Visayas, while Tagalog is the national language commonly called Filipino.

At a glance

Country
Philippines
Main city
Mandaue City, 364,482 people in 2024
Time zone
Philippine Standard Time (UTC+8)
Climate
Warm tropical climate with an average annual rainfall of 1,639 mm and about 253 rainy days each year
Languages
Tagalog and Cebuano
Church in the Philippines
882,461 members, 131 stakes, 1,324 congregations, 26 missions

A short history of the area

Mandaue was established by a flourishing group of Austronesian people. Venetian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta recorded a settlement called “Mandaui,” associated with a chieftain named Apanoaan, also called Lambuzzan in some accounts. Mandaue was listed as a pueblo around 1656, and Jesuits managed its mission village in 1638.

Mandaue became an independent municipality under American rule after a battle in 1901. It became a chartered city on August 30, 1969, and a highly urbanized city on February 15, 1991. Today it has 27 barangays and is known as the Furniture Capital of the Philippines.

The Church here

  1. 1961Missionary work began in earnest in the Philippines when four missionaries were transferred there from the Southern Far East Mission.
  2. 1967The first mission headquartered in the Philippines was organized, later becoming the Philippines Manila Mission.
  3. 1973The first stake in the Philippines was organized.
  4. 1974The Philippines Mission was divided into the Philippines Manila and Philippines Cebu City missions.
  5. 1983A Missionary Training Center opened in the Philippines.
  6. 1984The country’s first temple was dedicated.
  7. 1987The Cebu East Mission was organized.
  8. 1990sChurch membership in the Philippines grew to more than a quarter of a million members.

Temples nearby

Cebu City Philippines Temple

Dedicated June 13, 2010 · Near Mandaue City

Bacolod Philippines Temple

Dedicated May 31, 2026 · About 70 miles from Mandaue City

Iloilo Philippines Temple

Announced · About 95 miles from Mandaue City

Tacloban City Philippines Temple

Under construction · About 95 miles from Mandaue City

The Book of Mormon here

Missionaries in this mission share the Book of Mormon in these languages. Tap a cover to read it free.

Cover art is an illustration. Links open the free edition on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Before you go

Phrases to learn

  • Maayong buntagGood morning
  • Kumusta ka?How are you?
  • SalamatThank you
  • PalihugPlease

Foods to try

  • Lechon or inasal (roasted meat served with achara, or pickled vegetables)
  • Sugba (barbecue of fish, pork, chicken, or beef, often eaten with puso)
  • Kinilaw (raw pork or fish prepared with vinegar and salt)
  • Masareal (a famous Mandaue delicacy made with peanuts and sugar)

Fun facts

  • Mandaue is connected to Mactan Island by the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge and the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.
  • About 40% of Cebu’s export companies are located in Mandaue.
  • Mandaue accounts for 75% of the Philippines’ total furniture-sector exports.

Just got the call?

Turn the opening into a game: family and friends guess where the missionary is going before the reveal.