The Manobo of Mindanao

For hundreds of years, these tribes roamed the valleys and mountains, doing slash and-burn agriculture and having little or no contact with the outside world. From birth they have heard the oral traditions, myths, ballads and have practiced the ways that made them distinctly Manobo, different from the lowland Filipino and neighboring tribal groups. Perhaps the strongest of their beliefs is that a person cannot leave the traditional spirits and ways and still be a true Manobo.

There is an ancient Manobo legend which tells of how a god created man to be immortal. The legend says that immortality was lost when a bird exchanged man’s “life breath” for a mere piece of kemp string. For generations the Manobo have learned from childhood that no one has been raised to heaven. Still they hope to leave this world of poverty, sickness, hunger and death for the joy and bliss of heaven.

Over the years, various missions and churches have played a part in evangelism among the tribes. This has usually been an offshoot of their main work, church planting among lowlanders. In recent years, however, some larger denominational groups have focused on tribal work and at least one mission besides OMF is working exclusively with four tribal groups (the Tigwa, Langilan, Tala Ingod, and Dibabawon).

Today some villages are experiencing the joy of knowing Jesus who was raised to heaven by the power of the true and living God.