People group profile · PG007606
The Aborlan Tagbanwa of the Philippines
The Aborlan Tagbanwa of the Philippines, numbering about 23,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are possible descendants of the Tabon Man among the Philippines' original inhabitants, in Palawan's Aborlan, Quezon, and Puerto Princesa, whose homeland fell under the Sultanate of Sulu, represented by a chieftain called the Masicampo, until the 1890s.
They are an indigenous people in the Filipino Tribal people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Tagbanwa.

Fast facts
- Country
- Philippines
- Population
- 23,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Filipino Tribal
- Primary language
- Tagbanwa (tbw)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 5% or Greater but Less than 10%
- GSEC
- 5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
- Lostness priority
- Moderately Reached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Palawan province: in scattered communities
Where they live
Gospel status
The Aborlan Tagbanwa are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 5% evangelical.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Aborlan Tagbanwa
- Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
- Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
- Send out laborers from this people to the nations
Primary religion
Animism · Ethnoreligion
87% adherents
Primary language
Tagbanwa · Austronesian family
100% speak Tagbanwa
Gospel resources in Tagbanwa
- Bible available, published 1992
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Aborlan Tagbanwa
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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