The Tigwa-Matig-Salug Manobo of Philippines

The Tigwa-Matig-Salug Manobo of Philippines, numbering approximately 58,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Lumad people of the Davao River valley in central Mindanao whose name combines words for people and river, part of the Bagobo-Manobo classification and recently granted formal land rights across Davao City's Marilog District. They mostly adhere to Animism and Matigsalug Manobo is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Tigwa-Matig-Salug Manobo

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Malay Peoples
Country: Philippines
People Cluster: Filipino Tribal
Primary Language(s): Matigsalug Manobo (mbt)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 58,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 10% or Greater Evangelical
People Group ID: PG007791
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Pray for the Tigwa-Matig-Salug Manobo 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: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

97%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Matigsalug Manobo
Language Family: Austronesian

100%
%
Manobo, Matigsalug Speakers

Media Resources in Matigsalug Manobo:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Matigsalug Manobo:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2010 Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc.✓✓✓
SUMALCA✓

2 entries

Or check out the Matigsalug Manobo bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Tigwa-Matig-Salug Manobo 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 Tigwa-Matig-Salug Manobo:
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 Tigwa-Matig-Salug Manobo of Philippines

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
readPsalm 51:17

Pray that those who want to achieve salvation through their works will be unsettled in their pursuit and that, with a broken spirit and contrite heart, they will trust in Christ.

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
read2 Timothy 4:3-4

Pray that the lost will be open to the truth of the gospel and turn from false teachings and myths to the sound doctrine of Christ in faith.

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
readMatthew 18:19

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they find other believers to pray with, and that they will trust God to answer their requests according to His will.

Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"
readIsaiah 40:9

Pray for God to send and sustain believers to go and herald the good news to the lost here.

Manobo, Tigwa-Matig-Salug Across Countries (ROP3 - 110052) 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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