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People group profile · PG007750

The Palawan Batak of the Philippines

The Palawan Batak of the Philippines, numbering about 4,000 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 Animism, and they primarily speak Batak.

Pray for the Palawan BatakPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Palawan Batak people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Palawan Batak

Fast facts

Country
Philippines
Population
4,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Filipino Tribal
Primary language
Batak (bya)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
10% or Greater but Less than 15%
GSEC ?
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Moderately Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Palawan Batak 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 Palawan Batak

  • 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

96% adherents

Primary language

Batak · Austronesian family

20% speak Batak

Gospel resources in Batak

  • Bible available, published 1972
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings 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 Palawan Batak

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

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