Philippines Tacloban Mission

Mission leaders

Scott and Heidi McElhaney

Began service ~July 2026 (three-year terms, “on or about July 1”) · estimated release 2029-07-01 estimate · source: Church Newsroom 2026 · as of October 8, 2026

Mission office

Office address

c/o Lilies Mercado Apartment, Barangay Abgao (Kinomot), Maasin City, Southern Leyte, Philippines

Phone

Not yet verified

Email

Not yet verified

Source

Unofficial third-party directory (latterdaymissions.com) — may be out of date unofficial — confirm before mailing as of October 8, 2026

Letters & packages

Packages are often delayed and can incur fees; many parents use flat-rate boxes or local balikbayan box services after asking the mission office.

• Your missionary can email weekly on P-day; letters and packages are optional extras.
• Confirm the current mailing address with the mission office or the call packet before sending — offices move.
• Small, padded envelopes usually travel faster and cheaper than boxes; declare contents honestly and avoid restricted items.
• Mail-by dates for holidays and a calendar reminder are in the interactive guide.

Packages, holidays & time zone (interactive) →

Language

Tagalog (Filipino), English, Waray, Cebuano (Bisaya)

Tagalog is written phonetically with Latin letters; "ng" is one sound, as in "sing". Add "po" and "opo" to show respect to elders. English is widely understood.

Assignments can include other languages; your call letter states your language.

Nearby temples

• Tacloban City Philippines Temple — Under construction (18 January 2025) · ~0 km
• Cebu City Philippines Temple — Operating (13 June 2010) · ~159 km
• Bacolod Philippines Temple — Operating (31 May 2026) · ~228 km
• Iloilo Philippines Temple — Site announced (2 April 2023) · ~273 km

The Church in Philippines

Church Membership

905,082

Congregations

1,370 (890 Wards, 480 Branches)

Number of Missions

26

Operating Temples

3

Newsroom Facts & Statistics · updated Fri Mar 06 2026

Practical

Time zone

Asia/Manila

Currency

PHP

Country code

+63

U.S. travel advisory

Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution as of 2026-10-08

Organized

1 July 1990

Culture & food

• Use "po" and "opo" to show respect to elders.
• "Mano po" (touching an elder's hand to your forehead) is a gesture of respect.
• Filipino time is relaxed, but missionaries stay punctual.

Foods: Adobo, Sinigang, Lechon, Pancit, Halo-halo

Family groups

• Tacloban Mission Moms (LDS) Group
• Philippines Tacloban Mission (PTM) Group
• Philippines Tacloban Mission (2003-05) Group
• Tacloban Mission Facebook Group
• Tacloban Mission 2012-14 Pres. Andaya Group
• Philippines Tacloban Mission Facebook Group
• Philippines Tacloban Mission Facebook Group

As listed by latterdaymissions.com (unofficial). Groups may be private, renamed, or inactive.