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People group profile · PG007628

The Babuyan Islands Ivatan of the Philippines

The Babuyan Islands Ivatan of the Philippines, numbering about 2,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of the Philippines.

They are an indigenous people in the Filipino Tribal people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Ibatan.

Pray for the Babuyan Islands IvatanPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Babuyan Islands Ivatan people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Babuyan Islands Ivatan

Fast facts

Country
Philippines
Population
2,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Filipino Tribal
Primary language
Ibatan (ivb)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
20% or Greater but Less than 30%
GSEC ?
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Significantly Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Babuyan Islands Ivatan are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Babuyan Islands Ivatan

  • 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

Ethnoreligion

Primary language

Ibatan · Austronesian family

69% speak Ibatan

Gospel resources in Ibatan

  • Bible available, published 1996
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Babuyan Islands Ivatan

  1. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  2. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  3. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  4. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.

Download a prayer guide

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