The Kagayanen of Philippines

The Kagayanen of Philippines, numbering approximately 39,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Manobo-descended people of Cagayancillo in the Sulu Sea, Philippines, later influenced by Moro settlers from the Sulu Sultanate, historically skilled shipbuilders who sought protection from pirates behind the islands' reefs. They mostly adhere to Roman Catholicism and Kagayanen is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Kagayanen

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Malay Peoples
Country: Philippines
People Cluster: Filipino Tribal
Primary Language(s): Kagayanen (cgc)
Primary Religion(s): Roman Catholicism
Population: 39,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG007701
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Pray for the Kagayanen of Philippines

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Roman Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

72%
%
Roman Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Kagayanen
Language Family: Austronesian

100%
%
Kagayanen Speakers

Media Resources in Kagayanen:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Kagayanen:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc.✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Kagayanen bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Kagayanen are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Kagayanen:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Kagayanen of Philippines

For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.
readLuke 19:10

Pray that those who are lost will respond to the One who came to seek and save the lost, and experience the joy of being found.

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
readActs 17:24-25

Pray that the good news will reach everyone in this people group and that many will come to know and serve the one true God who made the world and everything in it and lives today.

But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.
readHebrews 10:38

Pray that as people trust in Christ, they will live by faith and not shrink back from their hope in Christ.

And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
readRomans 10:15

Pray that God will call many believers who will obediently go and share the gospel with those who desperately need it.

Kagayanen Across Countries (ROP3 - 104395) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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