Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG007806

The Waray-Waray of the Philippines

The Waray-Waray of the Philippines, numbering about 3,915,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of the Philippines.

They are an indigenous people in the Filipino, Central people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Catholicism, and they primarily speak Waray (Philippines).

Pray for the Waray-WarayPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Philippines
Population
3,915,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Filipino, Central
Primary language
Waray (Philippines) (war)
Primary religion
Folk Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Waray-Waray are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

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

Next steps for the Waray-Waray

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Folk Catholicism · Christianity

50% adherents

Primary language

Waray (Philippines) · Austronesian family

100% speak Waray (Philippines)

Gospel resources in Waray (Philippines)

  • Bible available, published 1984
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Waray-Waray

  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.

Download a prayer guide

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.