| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
"The spirit of this beautiful building has brought us together as one this afternoon," Elder Steven Bangerter, Philippines Area President, declared in his closing remarks during the unveiling of the Buendia Chapel marker on Tuesday, August 23.
Despite the heavy downpour, friends of other faiths, representatives from the local government units, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered in the Church's first-ever meetinghouse in the country to unveil the historical marker.
"This momentous occasion significantly adds to the celebration of the 60th year of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here in the Philippines," Hon. Monique Yazmin Maria Q. Lagdameo, Makati City's Vice-Mayor, highlighted in her message.
Brother Liel Maala, Manager of the Church History Department, also planned and assembled a Chuch History Exhibit in the cultural hall of the meetinghouse, where he displayed donated items from the pioneer members of the Church. He said this is the first time the Church will install a historical marker in the country. "We have come a long way since then," Brother Maala shared.
Brother Augusto Lim and Sister Nenita Gapiz, pioneer members of the Church, were also in attendance and bore their testimonies. "And now our beautiful Buendia Chapel stands amidst all these high-rise buildings. Heavenly Father has blessed us so much," Sister Gapiz remarked.
Hon. Romulo "Kid" Peña, District Representative of Makati City 1st District, and Rev. Fr. Carlos Reyes, Minister for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs from the Archdiocese of Manila, were there to support the event. Friends from the academe, Rev. Fr. Richard James Babao, Dean of Seminarians from the Holy Apostles Senior Seminary, and Dharma Sister Luisa Go, Deputy Secretary of Guang Ming College, graced the affair.
"The unveiling of the marker seems a small thing. It's not that large, and the physical glories abound around the world- it's really not that impressive, but what it stands for means everything! The historical marker is meaningful because of what it represents. It's an emblem of faith, obedience, and sacrifice," Elder Bangerter emphasized in his concluding message.
Though dwarfed by the towering skyscrapers of the Makati business district surrounding it, the historic Buendia chapel stands tall as a symbol of the remarkable growth of The Church of Jesus Christ in the Philippines.