Badon Tolagan Na Biblia — Karao New Testament (Philippines)
Overview
Badon Tolagan Na Biblia ("The New Testament Bible") is the complete New Testament (27 books) in the Karao language of Benguet Province, Philippines, published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. in 2023 and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 3645). Known to speakers as Karaw, Karao is a Cordilleran Austronesian language of northern Luzon's Central Cordillera mountains. The 2023 NT publication completes a long-running translation project and provides the Karao Christian community with complete New Testament scripture in their heart language for the first time.
Language and People
Karao (ISO 639-3: kyj; autonym: Karaw) is an Austronesian language: Austronesian → Malayo-Polynesian → Philippine → Cordilleran → South-Central Cordilleran. The Cordilleran languages of northern Luzon comprise numerous distinct languages spoken by the highland peoples of the Cordillera Administrative Region — including Ibaloi (ibl), Kankanaey (kne), Ifugao (ifb), Bontoc (bnc), Kalinga, and many others. Karao is a South-Central Cordilleran language most closely related to Ibaloi, spoken in neighboring Benguet Municipality and the Ibaloi areas of Baguio City.
The Karao community inhabits:
- Karao Municipality (Kayapa area), Benguet Province, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), northern Luzon, Philippines
- The rugged Central Cordillera highlands bordering Benguet and Nueva Vizcaya provinces
Estimated speakers: approximately 3,000–7,000 (Karao is one of the smaller Cordilleran communities; Joshua Project estimates ~5,800).
Cultural Context
The Karao are a small highland indigenous people (Igorot group) of the Philippine Cordillera. Like other Cordilleran peoples, they practice a form of agropastoral subsistence including sweet potato, rice, and vegetable cultivation on terraced mountain slopes. The Spanish colonial presence largely bypassed the Cordillera interior (hence its nickname "the unconquered mountain peoples"), but American colonial administration in the early 20th century brought schools, roads, and Protestant missions. The Karao community today is predominantly Christian (largely Protestant through Baptist and other evangelical missions). The 2023 WBT NT represents a milestone for the Karao community and provides scripture that complements existing oral Bible storying and discipleship resources.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. in partnership with Wycliffe Philippines (SIL Philippines), which has been active in Cordilleran language development since the 1950s.