Rockie A. Simbajon (whose tribal name is Datu Mata II) is a head of the Manobo tribe, the heir to his grandfather as a tribal chief of his clans. He was converted to Christianity sometime in 1994, and after confirming the call to the ministry he pioneered and pastored churches in Davao City (1996-1998), Quezon City (2001-2003) and at present in Covenant Reformation Presbyterian Church, Loreto, Agusan del Sur, Philippines.

 

Rockie’s desire is to make the Bible available in his Manobo tribe people. But in order for them to read the Bible they should know how to read; and someone must teach them how to read. In this cyberage and fast communication, there are still tribesmen and women (including all their children) who are still unable to decipher an alphabet between the mountains of Agusan and Bukidnon. The Manobo people are a river dwelling minority tribe in the middle of Mindanao mountains and plains that remain very much primitive in its Asian ways of life. Many of this people remain primitive in their everyday life. They still hunt in the forests, eat root crops, and live transient in their huts from one place to another. Others live stationary among the migrants, but could not participate much in the community life due to their social status. Primarily, the root cause of the problem is the noetic effect of sin.

 

Rockie knew that his people desperately needs the Gospel of Christ. They need to hear and read God’s written revelation among them.