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

Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.
readGenesis 22:8

Pray that God will open the ears of those who are lost to understand and believe that only shed blood takes away sin and that, like Abraham, they will believe that God Himself provides the lamb for the burnt offering, who is Jesus the final, perfect sacrifice.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
readPsalm 25:5

Pray that the gospel will advance and that God will lead people in His truth, bringing many to salvation.

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
readPsalm 127:1

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will build their homes in the Lord and raise their children to know and honor Him.

Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
readPsalm 149:3

Pray that God will send His people across cultures to share the gospel so that those who don't yet know the truth about Him might praise His name and share the hope of Christ with others.

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.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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