Free resources about the Philippines Iloilo Mission:
- Mission address and phone number
- Mission map
- Video interviews with returned missionaries
- Missionary blogs
- Facebook groups
- LDS Mission t-shirts and gifts
- List of past mission presidents
- Cultural articles written by returned missionaries
- Survey with RMs
*Other Mission Pages: Philippines LDS Missions.
Philippines Iloilo Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Iloilo Mission. We try to keep this information up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.
Philippines Iloilo Mission
Osmena St
Arevalo Iloilo City,
5000 Iloilo
Philippines
Phone Number: 63-33-335-3436
Mission President: President Hermenegildo Cruz
Philippines Iloilo Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Philippines Iloilo Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Iloilo Mission:
Videos with Iloilo RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Iloilo Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews. Coming soon..
Videos about Philippines
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about Philippines. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about Philippines, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Philippines Iloilo Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Iloilo Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Philippines Iloilo Mission Groups
Here are Iloilo Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Iloilo Mission.
- Philippines Iloilo Mission – 2010-2013 Group (231 members)
- Philippines Iloilo Mission – 2013-2016 Group (188 members)
- Iloilo Mission Single Adults Facebook Group (83 members)
- Philippines Iloilo Mission Facebook Group (67 members)
- Iloilo Mission Moms and Friends (LDS) Group (33 members)
Philippines Iloilo Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Philippines Iloilo Mission!
Shirt designs include Iloilo Mission logo/emblem shirts and Called to Serve shirts. The shirts make great gifts for pre-missionaries, returned missionaries and missionaries currently serving. LDS Mission shirts come in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, up to 4XL. The mission designs are printed on white shirts and are shipped to you.
*Simply click on a shirt design to view the details and submit an order. The designs on mission t-shirts may also be printed on other LDS mission gifts, including: Iloilo missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Iloilo Mission gifts
Recommended Mission Prep Books
(Fun Fact: John Bytheway served in the Philippines!)
Philippines Iloilo Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Iloilo Mission.
- 2016-2019, Hermenegildo Cruz
- 2013-2016, Jaime R. Aquino
- 2010-2013, Ryan V. Pagaduan
Philippines LDS Statistics (2015)
- Church Membership: 710,764
- Missions: 21
- Temples: 2
- Congregations: 1,181
- Family History Centers: 171
Helpful Tips about the Philippines (articles written by RMs)
- Joseph Smith’s First Vision in Tagalog
- Headstart on LDS Vocabulary in Tagalog
- Cool Tagalog Words
- Why I Love Filipinos
- Modes of Transportation in the Philippines
- American Influence on the Philippines
- Spanish Influences on the Philippines
- Japanese Influence on the Philippines
- Things You Can and Cannot Buy in the Philippines
- Sari-Sari Stores in the Philippines
- Filipinos and Karaoke
- Beverages in the Philippines
- Restaurants in the Philippines
- Rice in the Philippines
- Spaghetti in the Philippines
- Common Condiments in the Philippines
- What is Ube?
- Inspirational Tagalog Christian Quotes (LDS)
- 50+ Tagalog LDS Quotes, Memes, & Mormonads
- How to Make Pansit (a popular Filipino rice noodle dish)
- How to Make Lumpia (like eggs rolls but way better!)
- How to Make Puto (Filipino Rice Cakes)
Philippines Iloilo Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Philippines Iloilo RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
*Click here to take a survey to help pre-missionaries going to your mission.
When did you serve?
- 2016-2017 (Shinehah)
- 2013-2014 (Briel)
- 2012-2013 (Sydney)
What areas did you serve in?
- Roxas 3rd War; Oton Branch, Iloilo; Molo 1b, Iloilo; Arevalo B, Iloilo; Roxas 1st Ward. (Shinehah)
- Kalibo (that’s my home, so take care of it.) Iloilo City, Panay, Roxas, Otton. (Briel)
- Kalibo, Jaro, Oton. (Sydney)
What were some favorite foods?
- Sinigang nga baby. Adobo nga manor kag baboy. Pochero. Mango float. (Shinehah)
- Mang-sal (can’t spell it…) Buko llonggo. fresh buko. (Briel)
- Pinakbet, Filipino Spaghetti, Banana-Q, Adobo, Halo-halo, mango float and anything from Mang Inasal. (Sydney)
What was a funny experience?
- Finding a baby turtle at a recent convert’s home, and my trainer being a little frightened by it. (Shinehah)
- We were at a mission Christmas party playing Simmon Says. I was in charge of getting people out, they said to “pop, lock, and drop it” and I watched an elder drop it and rip his pants completely. It was great. (Briel)
- A slightly heavier sister was getting into a tricycle, or something like that, and her backpack was heavy and threw her off balance. She fell, but wasn’t really hurt. The members that were there asked her if she was okay. She said that she was okay and explained that she fell because “mabug-at ang backpack ko” To which they replied. “Hindi Sister, mabug-at ikaw.” Her pride was hurt a little after that, but now she laughs at the story. :). (Sydney)
What was a crazy experience?
- New Years Eve! It was like what I imagine a battle field to look and sound like, with what seemed like everyone lighting fireworks for a good hour or so. (Shinehah)
- Yonlanda was fairly dangerous. (Briel)
What was a spiritual experience?
- Having an investigator testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon! (Shinehah)
- I was rather upset about getting in trouble for a miscommunication, something or another, and I went up to my room right after and prayed about how unfair it was and remember it turning into a repentance/wrestling with the Spirit to understand God’s will. (Briel)
- I was in my first area and we were teaching an investigator about the gospel of Jesus Christ and about the covenants we make at baptism. I was terrible at the language, but in that moment, the exact words I wanted to say came to me. I was able to explain about the baptismal covenant and help him understand it. I haven’t had very many experiences in my life where the exact words came to me, so that was pretty cool. :). (Sydney)
What are some interesting facts about the Iloilo Mission?
- There are multiple languages and dialects, depending on where you are. Although the main language is Hiligaynon (Ilonggo), there are two other starkly different languages (Karay-a and Akeanon), and different tones and words used depending on the area. (Shinehah)
- Filipinos believe you can’t sing in a kitchen or it’s bad luck. (Briel)
- It’s the best one! (Sydney)
What was the weather like?
- There are two main seasons, one being more rainy than the other. It is usually quite hot and humid. (Shinehah)
- Awesome. Always pretty hot, which I prefer, and humid. And the rain was something else, flooded like crazy. (Briel)
- There are 3 seasons. Rainy season, Summer, and Christmas season….lol But really all the “burrr” months are chilly and everyone starts celebrating Christmas. The difference between the hottest and coldest nights goes like this: On the hottest summer nights you sleep with no covers and with your fan blowing on you at level 3. On the coldest “burrr” month nights you’ll sleep without your fan on and put a sheet on top of you. (Sydney)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- Iloilo is a beautiful, humble place, and the people are the same! They’re very friendly, hospitable and funny! (Shinehah)
- They are childlike and simple, they love you and it’s not more complicated than it has to be. The place is just pretty. (Briel)
- I like the weather. I like the markets, except the meat markets stink. I like the transportation. I like the innovation of the people. I like their sense of humor. I like the food. (Sydney)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Be very practical in what you purchase to bring on the mission. Clothing should be fairly durable, but light weight. Avoid skirts with lots of material as they are more difficult to hand wash (which you will likely do most weeks on your mission). Skirts/dresses should also be loose enough to be able to sit down with folded legs on the floor. Bring personal hygiene items if you use specific ones, as they are not sold in our mission area. (Shinehah)
- Girls, personal hygiene items and crappy clothes, anything you find at a thrift store will likely be nicer than what they have. (Briel)
- Try not to layer as much as possible. Even one layer is too hot. Having to wear a tank top or a cardigan under or over a shirt is miserable. Filipinos know how to make shoes that fit their conditions. As far as I’ve seen, American shoes just can’t compete. Wait to buy tracting shoes until you actually get out into the field. (Sydney)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- I was blessed to be able to be a part of change in other people lives through their conversion and to have become so much more humble and loving through serving. (Shinehah)
- It made me who I was. I still have people I keep in contact regularly with that are family to me. (Briel)
- Faith, a much better perspective of life, strength to do hard things, people skills, knowledge of the gospel, confidence in myself and in the Lord, better relationships with family members, a closer bond with my husband, and I’m sure many others. (Sydney)
What are some skills you gained?
- I’m now a much greater listener, am more sensitive to the needs of others, am more confident relating to others despite differences in culture, language or circumstance. (Shinehah)
- No longer believing in germs and an ability to go with the flow. (Briel)
- Confidence, people skills, learning how to read people, learning how to better understand how the spirit speaks to me, patience, planning and making goals, organizational skills. (Sydney)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- Communicated more effectively with my trainers and leaders my challenges, so they could help me better. (Shinehah)
- I wish I had eaten my Oreos. (my mom sent me Oreos in the MTC, and I carried them with me my entire mission because I couldn’t get myself to eat them and then not have them anymore. My last day I ate them and they were terrible.) (Briel)
- SPEAK THE LANGUAGE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!!!!!! I wish I would have tried harder to learn the language. I thought I was trying, but looking back, I could have done so much better. I wish I would have taken advantage of the time when my companion and I were walking to appointments. I wish I would have asked her how to say sentences and then practiced them. Someone told me that they learned the mission language by diligently studying the Book of Mormon. That’s cool and all, but the Book of Mormon in my mission language is NOT really the language that people speak. It was so deep and old that it was foreign to most of the people I was teaching. I thought that I could use the Book of Mormon as the best study tool to learn the language…but I was wrong. It is still a good tool, but it’s not the best tool to learn the language. (Sydney)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Iloilo?
- Constantly seek for opportunities to serve, and begin to live as a missionary in terms of schedule. The Philippines Iloilo Mission is the mission in the world (for whoever serves there)! I testify that as you are exactly obedient, you will reap the b leasing of the harvest. Not only your personal conversion, but being able to play a huge part in the conversion of many others. (Shinehah)
- No matter why you go, be it for you parents, tradition, etc. leave your mission knowing that you did it for you. Come to terms with the fact that Heavenly Father asked you to go and serve, but that He was also asking you to go and change. If you don’t accept responsibility for your mission or admit that you’re doing it for you, change will be harder. It’s all true, just let Him show you. Be genuine. (Briel)
- It is SO hard, but SO worth it. Sometimes you might feel like giving up, but don’t. Hard things are usually worth doing. Remember to ask for help when things get hard. Complaining isn’t great, but asking for help and complaining are not the same thing. Let people help you. Your companion, district leader, family and mission president love you, have often been in similar situations as you, and can help. The Lord definitely knows how you feel and can also help. Ask Him for help! He loves you! And He loves those you serve. He will help you. 🙂 (Sydney)
What was a funny language mistake?
- I was just terrible so everything I did was funny. (Briel)
- I can’t actually remember which is which now, but full (after eating a big meal) and pregnant are very similar. I think one is buskog and the other is busog. I got the two mixed up. My companion laughed pretty hard. 🙂 (Sydney)