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Total Number of Evangelicals

Cultural Bridges to UPGs

Regional Access to UPGs

Religious Freedom

Prosperity

Current Sending Abroad

Mobilization Potential

Custom Mobilization Potential

Number of Evangelicals

Cultural Bridges

Strategic Access

Religious Freedoms

Current Sending

This infographic provides a visual score for seven data points ranked on a 0 to 100 scale. Faded icons show scores for other countries on the mobilization index. See below for actual scores and country-specific insights.

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Home to the Highest Percentage of Asian Evangelicals 

Operation World estimates that 81.5% of Filipino Christians are Catholic. This is largely due to the fact that the Philippines was a Spanish colony from 1565 to 1898. In spite of this, Protestant, evangelical, and independent churches are continuing to grow and gain influence [[1]]. A minority group of Muslims in the south, who have sought to set up an independent Islamic State, have recently contributed to increased persecution of evangelicals. Regardless, the church continues to experience an increased mobilization movement. The Philippine council of evangelicals has also facilitated unity among 68 denominations, hundreds of independent congregations, and 170 mission agencies and parachurch organizations! [[1]]&nbsp;
At the start of the 21st Century, the Filipino church was home to the highest percentage of evangelicals in Asia [[2]]. Not only is the church growing in the Philippines, but the Filipino church has a growing vision to be mission sending force. Many efforts to equip Filipino workers traveling abroad have already been started! Because of the Filipino church's willingness to work in difficult places, there is incredible opportunity to share the gospel.

Bridges through Cross Cultural Workers

With an average Median Cultural Distance of 15.3, The Philippines shares many cultural similarities with multiple nations on our list. The Philippines' closest cultural neighbors are Iraq (4), Saudi Arabia (8), Libya (10), and the UAE (10.5). All of these countries are dominated by Islam and experience some of the least religious freedoms in the world; however, some of these nations are also home to thousands of Filipino workers. Of the 2.2 million Filipinos working overseas in 2019, 25% of them were in Saudi Arabia, and 15% in the UAE [[3]]. This puts the Filipino church in a unique and opportune position to reach UPG nations at this time in history. Organizations such as the Philippines Mission Association have recognized this opportunity and have now trained and equipped over 500,000 Filipinos working abroad as Kingdom Ambassadors [[1]].

Great Access Through Unconventional Means

With unreached populations of 5,427,000 in country and 328,763,000 regionally the Philippines scores high in the Strategic Access index. While there is moderate access in country, the regional access of Philippines is high. This is largely due to its proximity to Muslim majority Indonesia. While there are still a few isolated tribal groups on various islands, only 2 of the 17 indigenous and unreached people groups still practice tribal religions, while the rest are Muslim [[1]]. Even with 5.4 million accesible unreached people in-country, the Philippines also gains strategic access to many UPGs in the nations in which Filipinos are working (such as the over 2 million Filipinos working the Gulf States), providing a strategic opportunity in an unconventional way.

Low Restrictions Yet Not Danger Free

According to Pew Research, The Philippines is among the list of 20 countries with the lowest levels of religious restrictions and hostilities. Christian ministries, churches, and mobilization efforts operate freely throughout the country; however, Mindanao, The Philippines' second largest island, experiences increased hostility as Muslim rebel groups have created conflicting and dangerous situations for the believers among them [[1]].&nbsp;

With a ranking of 83, The Philippines scores better than many other Mobilization Index countries on the Legatum Prosperity Index. Though there is much social and political unrest, natural disasters have have negatively affected the economy, and widespread poverty has swept the country, the Philippines has climbed 4 ranks on the prosperity index in the past 9 years. Legatum Prosperity Index states that this is mostly due to updated infrastructure, improved governance, and a competitive economy. Legatum also reported that the Philippines has doubled its prosperity surplus in the past decade, making it one of the largest among all of the Southeast Asian countries [[4]].&nbsp; Considering this drastic improvement in spite of difficult circumstances and the effort being poured out from the Filipino church, the Philippines has an opportunity to continue and increase its movement toward reaching the unreached.

Raising Up Kingdom Ambassadors

Currently, with only 2,200 missionaries being sent from a church 12 million strong, it looks as if only 0.018% have been sent out; however, Operation World reports that at least 500,000 believers have been trained as 'Kingdom ambassadors' by the Philippine Mission Association as they travel abroad for work [[1]]. &nbsp;
While the number of missionaries sent may seem low, there is a great potential for the 500,000 Kingdom ambassadors to partner in God's work among UPGs alongside missionaries and the rising mobilization movement.

A Bright Future for Mobilization

Considering the large percentage of Christians in The Philippines and the amount of movement that the church has seen in recent years toward mission, the potential for a continued increase of movement is possible. If just 0.1%, or 1 in 1,000 evangelicals in the Philippines were to be mobilized to go to the unreached, the Lord&rsquo;s harvest would see 12,000 new missionaries raised up! Since over 1/3 of The Philippines' current missionaries were sent out in the last 15 years, imagine what could happen in the next 15 years if 12,000 more were sent! If current migration trends continue among Filipinos, the church could continue gaining strategic access to some of the least reached places of the world; however, even if migration were to come to a halt, the regional location of the country would still give it great strategic access to many UPGs.
Mission mobilization is on the rise in the Philippines, which has served as the birthplace for worldwide mobilization tools such as Kairos. Since the birth of the course in 1994, it has swept the nation and now has been translated into 20 languages in over 45 countries. Similar to the work of Kairos, organizations such as the Philippines Council for Evangelical Churches, Philippines for Jesus, and the National Council of Churches in the Philippines have joined arms in hopes of finding united goals. This willingness to live on mission and increased unity makes for a strong potential in the future of mobilization.

Obstacles:
<ul>
<li>Some of the Philippines' biggest obstacles to the evangelical church reaching its full mobilization potential may be economic and social unrest and corruption. They also suffer from continued vulnerability to devastating natural disasters.&nbsp;</li>
<li>For many Filipinos working abroad, they often face obstacles such as abuse, lack of freedom, and harsh work conditions.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Opportunities:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Despite these hardships, opportunities far outweigh the obstacles. We know this to be true due to the progress the Filipino church has made in the midst of many years of trials. Despite hardship, the church has still emerged as a missionary sending force.</li>
</ul>

Prayer:
<ul>
<li>Pray for the ongoing efforts of the various ministries who are part of this movement.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Pray for believers to find their most strategic role in seeing Christ proclaimed among the nations.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Pray also for discipleship and leadership development to become strong and foundational to the mobilization movement.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Praise:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Praise God for the mobilization movement that has begun in the Philippines! Pray for the ongoing efforts of the various ministries who are part of this movement.</li>
</ul>

Official Country Name:Republic of the Philippines

Population:108,117,000

Region:Southeast Asia

Government:Republic

Official Languages:Tagalog

Religious Demographics:Christian ±92% (Evangelical 12.3%), Islam 4.8%, Ethnic Religions 3.2%, Other 1%

Philippines