The Sisters of Mercy have been present in the Philippines since 1954 when six Sisters of Mercy arrived in Tacloban City from Cork, Ireland. The sisters from this foundation became an autonomous congregation, The Religious Sisters of Mercy, Tacloban Philippines, in 1981. They have 46 members, all of whom live and minister in the Philippines.

In 1957 four Sisters of Mercy from Buffalo, New York, USA, founded a convent in Mindanao. The sisters from this foundation belong to the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, NyPPaW Community.

Today, the Sisters of Mercy live and minister in all three of the island regions of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and in Luzon and Mindanao. The ministries are mainly health care, housing, education, social services, and spirituality.

In addition to running hospitals and nursing schools, the Sisters of Mercy also operate a Mobile Clinic which provides health services to people who are economically poor and have no means of transportation to the cities. The McAuley Herbal Clinic offers women basic health education, skills with herbal medicine, and counsel in feeding malnourished children. In addition, this herbal clinic provides nutritious food to pregnant mothers. Its main purpose is to empower women to counteract the effects of globalization.

The Sisters also provide education from kindergarten to secondary level in many schools throughout the Philippines. Some of the social services provided include: McAuley Center where women and children fleeing violence and a life of despair are given a safe home and supportive services; a feeding program for children and elderly who are economically poor; a livelihood program for women who are unemployed; shelter assistance for persons who are homeless. They also assist women with programmes to enable them to live with dignity. A final ministry is a justice and peace program.