Wednesday, February 29, 2012


WHO are they? The Higaonon Manobo are also one of the eight Manobo people
groups who live in the Philippines. The Higaonon people are known for being good
hunters and farmers, and they often travel from one mountain to the next, looking for
fertile soil for a better harvest. They are warm and friendly people, but they can also be
fierce warriors when intimidated. Like other Manobo groups, the Higaonon Manobo use
the “datu” legal system. One main leader, called the datu, rules over several clans. He
is responsible for the goings-on in the whole community! When a datu realizes he is
about to die, he passes on the title to one of his sons.

WHERE do they live? All eight Manobo groups live on Mindanao, the Philippines’
largest island. The word Higaonon means “people of the wilderness” or “people of the
mountain” which is a good fit for the Higaonon people because many do live in remote
areas throughout the Bukidnon Province!

HOW many? There are about 40,000 Higaonon people, and about 15% are estimated
to be evangelical Christians. That means that 34,000 still need to hear the gospel!
WHAT do they worship? Like the Agusan Manobo, many Higaonon people believe in
many unseen spirits that interfere in the lives of humans and one “great spirit” that
created them.

PRAYER needs:
• Only the New Testament has been translated into the Higaonon people’s
language. Pray that God would call out great translators to come and finish
translating the Bible so that the people can learn more about Him.
• Pray that the existing churches here would be strengthened, and that God would
continue calling out missionaries and pastors from among the Higaonon people.
Pray against the powers of darkness that are blinding the Higaonon Manobo from
worshipping the one true God.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Agusan Manobo



WHO are they? The Agusan Manobo are one of eight Manobo people groups in the
Philippines. The eight groups have lots of things in common – a common cultural
language and a heritage that can be traced back to the early Malay people from
Southeast Asia. But there are differences too! Each group lives in a different region,
which means each group has developed its own survival techniques and cultural
traditions based on the unique place where they live. In the Agusan culture, polygomy
(having more than one wife at a time) is common—if a man is wealthy enough. Many
have not had the opportunity to learn about God’s design for marriage, which is
between one man and one woman.

WHERE do they live? All eight Manobo groups live on Mindanao, the Philippines’
largest island. The Agusan Manobo lives near the Agusan River Valley, which is where
they got their name. The word “Agusan” means “water flows,” and they live near the
river.

HOW many? There are about 65,000 Agusan Manobo living in the Philippines today,
and around 15% are thought to be evangelical Christian. While this percentage is higher
than many of the other groups we have studied, that still leaves around 55,250 Agusan
Manobo people who need to be introduced to Jesus Christ our Savior!

WHAT do they worship? The Agusan Manobo believe in many unseen spirits that
interfere in the lives of humans and one “great spirit” that created them.

PRAYER needs: The Agusan Manobo people have many physical and spiritual needs.
• Their farming techniques are currently very primitive, and training would not only
help them harvest more, but it would also give missionaries an opportunity to
enter their communities. Pray that God would call missionaries with farming
know-how to come minister to the Manobo people in this way.
• The numerous dialects and language of this group makes it hard for outsiders
such as missionaries to learn their language! Pray that God would help
missionaries to learn quickly so that the Gospel can be clearly shared.
Pray against the powers of darkness that are blinding the Manobo from
worshipping the one true God.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Batangueno



WHO are they? Long before the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines, large
centers of population already thrived in Batangas. The present BatangueƱos are
descendants of people from the island of Borneo. They organized the first Malay
settlement at the mouth of the Taal River in the highlighted area below. Malay means a
type of people. The Malay people all look similar. Today, the Malay people are mainly
from Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia. The Batangeuno are known to be brave
warriors and heavy drinkers. They resisted the Spanish, the Japanese, and then the
Americans. There has been a lack of trust to outside influence. This is now seen in
being resistant to the gospel. While other tribes on the island have responded to the
gospel, the Batangueno have remained hardened.

Where they live? They live in the province of Batangas on the island of Luzon in the
Philippines.

WHAT do they worship? Batangenuos are known to be very religious. 98% would be
Roman Catholic, but they practice many other beliefs such as wearing amulets for
protection against evil spirits, and going to different kinds of spiritual healers.

PRAYER needs:
• More workers are needed that have a burden to share Christ and start new
churches.
• More workers are needed that understand that the battle is spiritual.
• That Christians would be bold and have faith to pray for the sick and demonized.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

North Korea


WHO are they? Officially, the North Korean Constitution gives political power to the
people. However, real political power belongs to the Communist Party. The constitution
guarantees such rights as freedom of the press, religion, and speech; however, the 23.6
million Korean in North Korea have very little freedom in those areas. For instance, all
radio and television broadcasts are strictly controlled by the Korean Central Broadcast
Committee. All privately owned radios are "preset" to the government frequency.
Current news is often withheld from the public, or even altered. The people often do not
learn of news events until weeks, months, or even years after they occurred. Many of
the people of North Korean live in very urban, industrialized areas while others live in
rural towns. In urban areas, many work in factories, while farming is still a way of life in
rural areas.

WHERE do they live? The North Koreans live in the nation of North Korea.
HOW many? There are about 23.8 million Koreans living in North Korea, and only
about 1.5% of them are evangelical Christian.

WHAT do they worship? Years ago, the Koreans believed in a mix of Buddhism,
shamanism (belief in an unseen world of gods, demons and ancestral spirits) and
Confucian thought, but in 1945 their formal ruler Kim II Sung was worshipped by the
Koreans and believed to be omniscient and omnipresent. Today, a new ruler Kim II
Jong presides, and any kind of religious activity is still strongly discouraged.

PRAYER needs: The Koreans of North Korea have serious physical and spiritual
needs.
• Severe flooding has created a serious food shortage in North Korea – causing
some people to resort to eating grass and roots just to survive. Pray that God
would meet their physical needs.
• Pray that the laws in North Korea that restrict the preaching of the Gospel will be
changed!
• Ask God to make the Koreans’ hearts more open to Christianity.
• Pray that God would convict the North Koreans about their need for a Savior.
• Ask God to protect, strengthen and encourage the small number of Korean
Christians. Pray that they would boldly share the love of Jesus with their fellow
Koreans.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Bicolano


WHO are they? Isn’t it amazing how many people groups there are in the Philippines
alone? While they all share some similarities, every one is unique and special to God.
Today we will learn about the Bicolano people, a tribal group of people that are still, for
the most part, isolated from modern civilization. Their lifestyle is built around one main
thing—survival! Most of these tribal groups are farmers, but their techniques are so
primitive that they often harvest very little. Another important thing about the Bicolano is
that they are broken into many, many tribes. Each tribe is run by one chief or leader,
and sometimes the individual tribes even have their own language! However, some of
these tribes are so far away from civilization that it can be difficult to reach them with the
gospel of Christ.

WHERE do they live? The tribes that make up the Bicolano people group are scattered
across the Philippines, but they are mostly on the islands of Luzon and Mindanao.

HOW many? There are more than two million Bicolano people, and only 1.3% of them
are evangelical Christians.

WHAT do they worship? The Bicolano people are mostly animists, meaning that they
believe in lots of gods and spirits, who they think are in control of their lives and
circumstances. Many believe that they must perform certain religious rituals in order to
make it into their “next life.” Some of the tribes have shamans, chosen people who they
think are capable of communicating with the gods and curing sick people using magic.
While each tribe’s set of beliefs vary, all are depending on false gods and spirits instead
of the one true God. They need to hear the truth!

PRAYER needs:
• Many of the things we take for granted, like quality medical care and a sufficient
food supply, are constant struggles for the Bicolano people. Ask God to protect
and provide for them.
• Pray that the Lord will call people willing to go to the Philippines and share Christ
among these people, who so desperately need to know about Him.
• Pray that the hearts of the Bicolano would be softened by God and made
receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray that the Lord will rise up strong local churches among each tribal group.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Tagalog



WHO are they? Also called Filipino, the Tagalog people are the second largest ethnic
people group in the Philippines. Today, they are considered to be one of the most
“Westernized” Filipino ethnic groups. “Westernized” refers to a group that has been
influenced by the modern conveniences and attitudes of a country like America—and it
is not always a good thing! Traditionally, Tagalog people are farmers and fishermen, but
as education becomes more easily attainable, more are entering professional fields. In
their culture, women are trained early on to cook elaborate dishes. That’s why they
often have lavish celebrations during fiestas and holidays.

WHERE do they live? The word Tagalog means “people living along the river,” but
today the Tagalog people live all over the Philippines, and many live in other Southeast
nations as well.

HOW many? There are about 23,678,000 Tagalog people living in the Philippines. 15%
are evangelical Christians.

WHAT do they worship? The vast majority of Tagalog people are Roman Catholic,
and they often mix in some animistic beliefs as well. Like Cebuanos, this means that
while they are familiar with Jesus, they may not have a relationship with Him.

PRAYER needs:
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more workers to live and work among the
Tagalog people
• Ask God to soften the hearts and open the eyes of the Tagalog people, so that
they will be receptive to the message of the Gospel.
• Pray that existing Tagalog churches would be blessed with excellent Biblical
teaching and that they would place a major emphasis on evangelism.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Cebuano


WHO are they? Cebuano people can trace their ancestry back to many different
cultures—including Spanish and Chinese, as well as other groups within the Philippines.
And even today, many Cebuanos, who are sometimes also called Visayan, speak more
than one language. In addition to their native language of Cebuano, some speak
English quite well, and others can also speak Tagalog, the Filipino national language.
Many Cebuano people live in simple two or three room homes built from bamboo and/or
wood.

WHERE do they live? The Cebuano mainly live on the islands surround the Visayan
sea, but many have migrated to other areas in the Philippines.

HOW many? With around 18,295,000 Cebuano people living in the Philippines, this
group is the second largest ethnic group in the Philippines.

WHAT do they worship? Most Cebuano people are Roman Catholic, and less than 5%
are evangelical Christians. In some areas, their Roman Catholic belief is mixed with
animism (the belief that inanimate objects have spirits) and even witchcraft. Though
they will be quick to tell you that they believe in Jesus and may even be able to tell you
all about His life, many Cebuanos are hoping that their good works and the religious
rituals will get them into heaven. The idea of having a personal relationship with Jesus
and studying the Bible for themselves is often new to them.

PRAYER needs: The Bible and other Christian materials have been translated into their
language, but with a people group so large, there is still much work to be done!
• Ask the Lord to call out people who are willing to go to the Philippines and share
Christ with the Cebuano people.
• Ask God to soften and prepare the hearts of the Cebuano people for the Gospel.
• Pray that the existing Cebuano churches and believers would be encouraged,
strengthened and protected. Pray that God will call out missionaries and pastors
from them as well!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Cinamiguin Manabo


WHO are they? Camiguin Island, where many of the Cinamiguin Manabo live, has
seven volcanoes on it, including the still-active Mount Hibok Hibok. But that volcanic soil
is actually very fertile, which allows the Cinamiguin Manabo to farm all kinds of crops,
such as corn, coffee, coconuts and other fruits and veggies. The island’s volcanoes,
waterfalls and interesting diving spots make it a favorite for tourists.

WHERE do they live? The Cinamiguin Manabo live on Camiguin Island and along the
Northern coast of Mindanao.

HOW many? There are about 141,000 Cinamiguin Manabo people, and less than
1.5% of them are thought to be evangelical Christians. That’s just a little over 2,000
believers!

WHAT do they worship? Most of the Cinamiguin Manabo people put their faith in
animistic, traditional ethnic religions. These religions are a major part of not just their
spiritual lives, but their culture as well.

PRAYER needs:
• Ask the Lord to call out people who are willing to go to the Philippines and share
Christ with the Cinamiguin Manabo.
• Ask the Lord to raise up a group of qualified linguists to translate the Bible into
their language.
• Ask God to soften and prepare the hearts of the Cinamiguin Manabo for the
Gospel.
• Pray that the small number of Cinamiguin Manabo believers would be
encouraged, strengthened, protected—and increased!