Cebu, Philippines

In June, youth gathered in the Philippines for a youth cultural celebration titled "A Celebration of Filipino Heritage," which took place the night before the dedication of the Cebu Philippines Temple. Youth from around the temple district gathered and became friends. The arena was the biggest in Cebu, but it was not big enough to hold all the performers who wanted to participate, so 2,000 youth performed there while another 2,000 performed for cameras and had their performance displayed at the celebration.

The celebration's 12 numbers included costumes and dances from several eras of Filipino history. President Thomas S. Monson spoke to the youth, encouraging them to write in their journals about the event. "Years from now, you will be telling your children and your grandchildren about the opportunity you had to participate in such a tremendous cultural celebration," he said.