Lapuyan is a 4th class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 24,366 people in 4,637 households. The municipality of Lapuyan is located in the southern section of the Zamboanga del Sur province. It is bounded on the east by the municipality of San Miguel, north by the municipality of Lakewood, north-northwest by the municipality of Kumalarang, and south-southwest by the waters of Dumanquilas Bay. It has an aggregate area of 17,325 hectares of land.

History

Lapuyan was created into a regular Municipality by virtue of Executive Order No. 273 on October 16, 1957 by President Carlos P. Garcia upon the recommendation of Sen. Roseller T. Lim, Gov. Bienvenido Ebarle and the Provincial Board of Zamboanga del Sur. The Municipal Government started functioning as a corporate Municipality on January 11, 1958 with Hon. Coco Imbing Sia as the first appointed Municipal Mayor. However, the Municipality was formally inaugurated on April 21, 1958 with the induction into office of the following Municipal Officials: Mayor Coco I. Sia, Vice Mayor Bayang Guiaya, Councilors Dr. Vicente Imbing, Datu Manupak Dakula, Benigno Bualan, Javier Suico, Catalino Fernandez and Canuto Lingating.

Upon creation into a regular Municipality, the existing barrios within the jurisdiction were as follows: Poblacion, Kumalarang, Maruing, Carpok, Bulawan, Lakewood and Sayog. The author, Dr. Vicente Laras Imbing is a native subanen born on April 30, 1925, at Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur, RP. He is the son of Kalay Imbing and nansay Laras, and grandson of Thimuay Imbing 1800–1921, the ruling Thimuay of the Dumanquilas region during the late Spanish and early American regimes. He is also a nephew of Datu Lumok Imbing, 1921 – 1958, the ruling subanen Datu in the Dumanquilas region in the municipality of Margosatubig, during the American and commonwealth regimes and up to WW II. He is also a nephew of Datu Purok Imbing, 1958–1981, grand old man of Lapuyan municipality and younger brother of thimuay – Langhap Lantay L. Imbing – 1981–1990 grand old man of Lapuyan municipality. Dr. Vicente L. Imbimg, the first Subanen physician is now the grand old man of the Imbimg clan.

The municipality of Lapuyan is located on the northern shore of Dumanquilas Bay, bounded on the east by the municipality of San Miguel, on the west by Dumanquilas Bay and the municipalities of Malangas, Buug and Kumalarang, to the north by the municipalities of Lakewood and Tigbao and on the south by Dumanquilas bay and the municipality of Margosatubig, all of Zamboanga del Sur. The mother municipality of Lapuyan is Margosatubig Zamboanga del Sur. The barrio of Lapuyan was created into a regular municipality on October 6, 1957 per executive Order No. 276 by President Carlos Garcia. The first appointed mayor was Mayor Coco Imbing Sia, nephew of Datu Lumok Imbing and the first appointed Vice-Mayor Bayang Guiaya. The first appointed municipal councilors were Dr. Vicente Imbing, Datu Maneped Dakula, Benigno Bualan, Javier Suico, Canuto Lingating, and Catalino Fernandez. The first appointed municipal officials served for 2 years from 1957- 1959.

In the local elections of 1959, the first elected municipal officials were Mayor Coco I. Sia, Vice-Mayor Fausto H. Imbing, Councilors Felicidad M. Minor, Dr. Vicente L. Imbing, & 4 others, they served from 1960-1963. From 1964–1967, Mayor Mahalambas D. Huminis with Vice Mayor Consing Bugao, served for four years, 1988 7 Mayors Coco Sia with Vice-Mayor Jesusa Fernandez. From 1972-1975 Mayor Coco Sia with Vice-Mayor Quensilan Sulong, 1975- 1980 Mayor Quensilan Sulong, 1975–1980 Mayor Quensilan Sulong and Vice-Mayor Catalino Bugao, Martial law, KBL 1980–1986 Mayor Dr. Manasi Banghulot and Vice-Mayor Lorenzo Sia, 1980-1985 Vice Mayor Miguel Villena 1986, EDSA Rev. Gov’t 1986- 1987 Mayor Quensilan Sulong w/Vice-Mayor John Tan Manghay interim – 1987 Mayor Lorenzo Bugao with Vice-Mayor Eufemia Sia – Vice-Mayor Celso Sabang Vice-Mayor Vicente Imbing, 1988-1992 Mayor Cesar Sulong w/Vice-Mayor Dr. Vicente Imbing, 1992-1995 Mayor Cesar Sulong with vice-Mayor Romeo Tan, 1995-1998 – Mayor Cesar Sulong with Vice-Mayor Roland Lusay, 1998-2003 Mayor Cesar Sulong with Vice-Mayor Roland Lusay, 1998-2001 Mayor Daylinda Sulong with Vice-Mayor Berdal Amban, 2001-2003 Mayor Cesar Sulong w/Vice-Mayor Joel Sulong, 2003–2005 Incumbent Mayor Cesar Sulong w/Vice-Mayor Joel Sulong.

Barangays

Lapuyan is politically subdivided into 26 barangays.

Early History of Education

In the olden days, the Subanens did not have schools, their parents were in charge of schooling them. In the family of singers, the mother or
the father sang Subanen epics, poems and read legends and stories. Mothers trained their daughter to wed abaca cloth
and the father usually trains their son to do wood carvings and to weave rattan baskets and to make musical instruments out
of bamboo and wood.

When they came into contact with the Muslim, they learned about the teachings of Islam. Although the Subanens
of Lapuyan had an early contact with the Spaniards when they had a garrison in Margosatubig during the mid 19th century,
there was a school opened by a priest for the natives, but the Subanens misunderstood the message of the cross. The
children were scared to see a stick with a dead man on it. Their parents would scare them with the cross, pronounced karehus, and tell them the big white men who brought it were cannibals. with the coming of the Americans, the Protestant missionaries would bring around a big picture roll showing the baby Jesus, the savior of mankind with his Mother Mary. The old folks associated the stories with their own that a wonderful Child will be born the savior of mankind called “Diwata” or God child.

The old generations understood the scriptures through the picture rolls and encouraged their children to go to the mission school. In 1912, Mr. & Mrs. David O. Lund, introduced Christianity to the Subanen by opening a mission school in Sunglupa, in the village of Thimuay Imbing which is now a part of the Municipality of Lapuyan. Thimuay Imbing accepted the new religion, a Protestant denomination of the Christian and Missionary Alliance whose headquarters were located in Nyac, New York, in 1914; they constructed a semi-permanent-building called
the Pampang Tabernacle were the Subanen worshipped. Next to the Tetuan Church in Zamboanga City, The Lapuyan Tabernacle became the first Alliance Church in Mindanao, if not the entire Philippines. With the introduction of Christianity, the great majority of the Subanens accepted Christianity and there was great change in the way of life during the 20th century. There were further changes in the way of life of the Subanen in Lapuyan with the opening of government schools in 1919.

The Subanen adopted a lot of the western culture, including attire and even in the architecture of their houses. Although, many educated Subanen adopted western culture and are keeping up with global competition, they still manage to preserve many of their customs and traditions.

Colleges

• Lomasson Alliance Bible College
• Josephina H. Cerilles State College-Lapuyan Extension Campus

High School

• Lapuyan National High School-Main
• Maruing National High School
• Bulawan National High School (Lapuyan National High School-Bulawan Extension)
• Tiguha National High School (Lapuyan National High School-Tiguha Extension)

Elementary School

• Antonio V. Apostol Memorial Central Elementary School
• Karpok Elementary School
• Bulawan Elementary School
• Maruing Elementary School
• Danganan Elementary School
• Mala-Tiguha Elementary School
• Dansal Elementary School
• Linok Madalum Elementary School
• Luanan Elementary School
• Lubosan Elementary School
• Mandeg Elementary School
• Maralag Elementary School
• Molum Elementary School
• Pampang Elementary School
• Pantad Elementary School
• Pingalay Elementary School
• Salambuyan Elementary School
• San Jose Elementary School
• Sayog Elementary School
• Tininghalang Elementary School
• Tipasan Elementary School
• Talabob Elementary School
• Mahalingeb Primary School
• Tabon Primary School
• Baloy Primary School
• Tugaya Primary School
• Dumara Primary School

The Subanen Heritage

During the Spanish regime, the Subanens were a thriving tribe in the jungles without the disturbances of the Spanish conquerors who were waging their wars with the Moros in the South. The sphere of influence of the Subanens started from Pingolis and Dumangkilas areas. In the olden times, Pingolis consist of the areas of Misamis (Occidental), Zamboanga Del Sur and Zamboanga Del Norte. Dumangkilas consisted of Margosatubig up to Dinas and Dimataling areas. The Spaniards came upon these places almost at the close of the 18th century but never organized a settlement, only watchtowers in Margosatubig and Tukuran, Zamboanga Del Sur and in the shores of Misamis, now Ozamiz City. These watchtowers were built to protect against marauding sea pirates but not against native Subanens who remained unseen in the vast jungles of the Peninsula and Mt. Malindang.

Gumabongabon, a native of Cotabato sought refuge in Mt. Malindang in Misamis province to flee from the Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

faith of salipabunsuan(Shariff Kabunsuan). He begot two sons named Dageneg and Daginding. The younger brother Daginding took the Subanen leadership from his aging father Gumabongabon. Throughout his lifetime Gumabongabon was never conquered nor subjugated either by the Muslim or Christian faith by remaining in the jungles with his family and those that continued his leadership.

Daginding, the surviving son of Gumabongabon, is said to be the origin of the Imbings in Lapuyan. Daginding bore a son named “Baless” who took the leadership from Daginding. Baless bore a son named, “Baan” then Baan bore a son named “Paluli”, who also bore a son named, “Habali” who bore a son named “Bongulan”, who bore a son named “Pamaisen”. The latter also bore a son named “Samaya” who bore a son named “Lihaiwan”, who bore a son named “Sanira”. It was at the time of the leadership of Sanira that he transferred his place to Salug Valley, now Molave town. There he met and married a wife from Dumangkilas, now Margosatubig, Zamboanga Del Sur. Sanira bore four children, triplets – two boys and one girl. The triplets were called “Palaganding” “Dainding” and Gumaed”. The only girl was named “Balao”. Among the triplets, Palaganding became the leader after his father Sanira. He was the most feared Subanon leader. He ate his enemies heart raw after every battle.

During Palaganding’s leadership, he met a girl from Pingoles and bore four sons, named Lumang, Mandaulay, Sandok and Talatap and one daughter named Sinumpay. Son Talatap and daughter Sinumpay were one day kidnapped by pirates when they were fishing in Dumangkilas bay.

Daughter Sinumpay was sold by the pirates to a Hadji Usah in Jolo, who married her and became a Muslim. The whereabouts of Talatap was unknown because he was separated from his sister when they reached Jolo.

Palaganding’s eldest son Lumang took over the leadership of the Subanons when he died. Lumang bore three sons and two daughters. He named his sons (first son) Mandal, then Bahong and the youngest son as Imbing” He named his daughters as Ames and Amog.

Third son of Lumang named Imbing was my great, great grandfather on my mother side. He took over the leadership of the Subanens during the American regime. It was during this time when the battle of Mt. Guillian took place with the Iranons and he won. The mountain where they fought with the Iranons was named after him Mt. Imbing., the third son of Subanen Timuay Lumang. The naming of Mt. Imbing was by American Governor General Leonard Wood, who happened to stay with Timuay Beng Imbing on his way to Lakewood, where he saw a lake while flying during World War I. The lake was so beautiful surrounded by trees that General Wood named it as Lakewood. Today, Lakewood is already a municipality which was a former barangay of Lapuyan Zamboanga Del Sur.

Timuay Labi (highest) Beng Imbing bore six children — three boys and three girls. He named his boys as Calay, Lumok and Purok, all with a title of Datu. He named his girls as Calat, Calangian (my grandmother, mother of my mother) and the last Sindium. All with a bloodline of a glorious and honorable past from the times of warrios title of Timuay Dlibon. The last Subanen Datu among the Subanens was Datu Purok Imbing. After him, there was no more anointment. The American missionaries were already in Lapuyan, Zamboanga Del Sur and the saga of the Datus and Timuays ended its cruel and happy days.

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2000 Philippine Census Information
• http://www.subanen.org/historyheritage.htm

• http://www.subanen.org/historyheritage.htm
• http://www.zds-lapuyan.gov.ph
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapuyan,_Zamboanga_del_Sur

Bulawan Carpok Danganan Dansal Dumara Linokmadalum Luanan Lubusan Mahalingeb Mandeg Maralag Maruing Molum

Pampang Pantad Pingalay Poblacion Salambuyan San Jose Sayog Tabon Talabab Tiguha Tininghalang Tipasan Tugaya