An Impact Story of the Bugkalot Language Community

Today, I come before you with a story of transformation, a story that reflects the power of the Gospel to penetrate even the hardest of hearts- a story that invites us to partner together for the greater cause of Bible translation, so that the light of God’s Word may continue to shine in the darkest corners of this world.

Many years ago, missionaries arrived in a remote region of the Philippines to reach out to a people known as the Bugkalot tribe. They were a community steeped in ancient traditions, one of which was both fearsome and deeply ingrained in their culture. They were a headhunting tribe.

For the Bugkalot people, headhunting was not just a practice; it was a way of life. It was a tradition ingrained in their identity, something that was not only accepted but celebrated. Young men were trained from an early age to become headhunters, believing that bringing back chopped heads would bring honor and glory to their people.

 It was a symbol of pride. To them, this was how you become a man. This was how you earned your community’s respect. And for many, it was also a means of revenge—a dark cycle that held this community in its grip for generations.

But into this cycle of violence and pride, the light of the Gospel began to shine.

Through the tireless efforts of those early missionaries, the Bugkalot people began to hear about a different kind of honor—a different kind of glory.  

Then the work of Bible translation began, and by God’s grace, Wycliffe Philippines has stepped into this incredible journey, partnering with the Bugkalot in translating the Bible in the language of their heart. For the first time, they understood God’s Word!  They learned of a different kind of glory—not the glory of violence, but the glory of the Cross. They encountered a God who didn’t demand heads but gave His own Son to save them.

This engagement has opened doors for more conversations about the Gospel, more opportunities for God’s Word to take root in their hearts. The scripture, in their own language, carried a power unlike anything they have heard before. 

The Word of God continues to reach more and more people within their community, and its message of love continues to penetrate hearts that once glorified violence. 

Today in the Bugkalot tribe, you find a church, some Bugkalot warriors then, have become soldiers of Christ,  leading their people, pastoring their church.

The story of the Bugkalot is a living testament to what God can do when His Word is made accessible. Men who once saw glory in violence—became believers whose hope and glory is in Christ.

- Edith Sola, CEO, Wycliffe Philippines