The Lapuyan Subanun of Philippines

The Lapuyan Subanun of Philippines, numbering approximately 120,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Subanen people of the Lapuyan and Margosatubig area of Zamboanga del Sur, maintaining a distinct Southern Subanen language and a local tradition of governance under timuay leaders. They mostly adhere to Animism and Southern Subanen is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Lapuyan Subanun

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Malay Peoples
Country: Philippines
People Cluster: Filipino Tribal
Primary Language(s): Southern Subanen (laa)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 120,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 10% or Greater Evangelical
People Group ID: PG007715
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Lapuyan Subanun of Philippines

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

91%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Southern Subanen
Language Family: Austronesian

100%
%
Subanen, Southern Speakers

Media Resources in Southern Subanen:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Southern Subanen:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Southern Subanen bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Lapuyan Subanun are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Lapuyan Subanun:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Lapuyan Subanun of Philippines

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
readPsalm 32:5

Pray those who are lost will realize their sin, confess their iniquity, and grow in their understanding of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
readPsalm 119:105

Pray that they will receive the Word of God as a lamp to their feet and commit their ways to Him.

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot... indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
readPsalm 16:5-6

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ and face hardship, they will remember that God is their portion and cup and that He has a beautiful inheritance for them.

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
readJohn 1:35-36

Pray for those God sends to cross cultures to share the gospel, that they might faithfully share the good news of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Subanon, Lapuyan Across Countries (ROP3 - 105646) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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