Vocal Point members Nathan Moser (left) and Seth Garff work with Mabuhay Deseret Foundation’s team in Cebu to see if candidates qualify for eyeglasses.
On Monday, May 15, Vocal Point began their final week in the gorgeous Philippines by splitting their time among the cities of Oslob, Carcar, and Dumaguete. In the morning the group had a bucket-list adventure swimming with whale sharks in the stunning blue waters of Oslob. Later they had lunch in Carcar before spending the remainder of the day traveling to Dumaguete.
On Tuesday, Vocal Point went to Dumaguete City Hall and met with the mayor, Felipe Antonio B. Remollo. After one song, Mayor Remollo interrupted the meeting and invited Vocal Point to sing for the city council on their livestream. The councilmembers and city hall staff videoed the group and cheered when Vocal Point finished “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” Mayor Remollo immediately asked for 100 concert tickets for everyone at city hall.
The group then made their way to lunch, where they had a traditional “boodle fight” at Ryu Sushi, a restaurant owned by a Church member. In a boodle fight, the meal is eaten barehanded around a table piled with food, after the style of the Filipino military. The group then went to the venue to rehearse for their evening performance and later attended a brief meet-and-greet and VIP reception. The Luce Auditorium was packed, and the mayor and his 100 guests were all at the performance.
The following day Vocal Point arrived in Bohol, where they saw the second-smallest primate in the world, the Philippine tarsier—a cute, hand-sized, nocturnal primate with very big eyes. Vocal Point enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Bee Farm. The group then went to a beautiful white-sand beach, played in the pool, and relaxed under the palm trees before hosting a workshop that evening with local youth and young adults. When Vocal Point arrived, they were greeted with shell leis and a lot of excitement. The group taught a vocal workshop, shared testimonies, and sang a few songs.
Vocal Point ended their sightseeing in style, traveling to the gorgeous Virgin Island early in the morning to swim with turtles, see dolphins, snorkel, and visit the famous Picnic Island sandbar just off Bohol.
Finally, Vocal Point flew back to Manila just in time to put on an evening performance for the Mission Leadership Seminar, which was attended by all of the 23 mission leader couples and the Philippines Area presidency. Area president Elder Steven R. Bangerter thanked Vocal Point for all of their missionary work and efforts in reaching out to the members, especially the youth and young adults. Vocal Point then surprised first counselor Elder Yoon H. Choi by singing “Happy Birthday” to him. The seminar performance was a perfect end to a busy yet fulfilling tour. When Vocal Point arrived at the airport in Salt Lake City, they were greeted with cheers from friends and family and a filming crew from Fox 13 News.
