Indigenous People Notes

1. SUBANEN

2. The Subanon are
indigenous cultural
communities scattered all
throughout the Zamboanga
peninsula, which was
originally named Sibuguey
and is located in West
Mindanao. The term
“Subanon” comes from the
root word suba, which means
“river.” The suffix nun, non, or
nen indicates a locality or
place of origin. Thus,

3. However, they have become dispersed,
having retreated into marginal, less
productive mountainous areas. Outsiders
call them Subano, Subanu,
Suban-on, or Suban-un, depending on their
accent. In publications, they are called
Subanon, Subanun, or Subanen. Linguists
use the spelling “Subanen” because it is
phonetically close to the way the native
speakers pronounce their ethnic name.

4. The language of this group is
generally referred to as Subanon.
However, there are dialectal variations,
depending on the locality in which the
people live. Using geographical
references, scholars in 1900 identified
four subgroups of the Subanon: the
residents in and around Mount
Malindang, Sindangan, Sibuguey, and
Siocon. They were considered to be
distinct from each other because of the

5. More recent studies of them
indicate that there are six subgroups of
Subanon: the Sindangan Subanon
(Central Subanon), Guinselugnen
(Eastern Subanon), Tuboy Subanon
(Northern Subanon), Lapuyan or
Margosatubig (Southern Subanon),
Kolibugan (Kolibugan Subanon), and
Siocon (Western Subanon). These
groups are dispersed over a wide area

6. In 1912, the Subanon were officially
estimated to number 47,164. By 1988, their
population had grown to about 300,000. In
2010, the Subanon’s population count in the
Zamboanga Peninsula was estimated to be
867,012.

7. Livelihood of the Subanon
People
 The Subanon meet their daily needs primarily through
agriculture. Along the coastal area, wet agriculture
cultivation using a carabao-drawn plow is the method of
producing the staple rice. On rain-fed dry lands, the
Subanon grow corn, coconuts, hemp, squash,
eggplant, melons, bananas, papayas, pineapples,
jackfruit, and lanzones.

8. Subanon Community
The neighborhood, called sumbalay by the
Guinselugnen or Eastern Subanon, is the basic
independent political unit. It is composed of karumanan
(individuals related by blood or marriage) and outsiders
who live with them peacefully. The sumbalay is headed by
the most senior male member of the community, who is
called timuay in the western part of the Zamboanga
peninsula or gukom in the eastern part.

9. Timuay, variously spelled as timuai,
timuway, and timway, is a Maguindanao word
that means “chief” or “leader.” The word
“gukom” seems to be a variant of
the Tagalog and Cebuano term hukom, which
means “judge” or “arbiter.” Timuay or gukom
connotes both civil and religious authority for
the bearer of the title. A chief headman among
the Guinselugnen is called gungal gukom. He
is considered as a basalag gataw (big man)
by virtue of his wisdom, wealth, and other
abilities that ordinary men do not possess. He
is highly esteemed and respected in the

10. Subanon Religious Beliefs and
Practices
The Subanon are firm believers in a supreme
being called Gulay. Other terms for Gulay include
Apu’ Asug, Gegded, Megbebaya’, and Meglengaw.
The Subanon consider him as the creator of
heaven and earth, the giver of life, and the creator
of the first man and woman.

11. Subanon Tribal Houses
The typical Subanon
settlement is composed of
any number of either
clustered or dispersed
households and is normally
located on high ground
close to the swidden farm.
There are three types of
houses according to
purpose and materials
used: the tree house, field
huts, and permanent
dwellings.

12. In times past, the tree house, built atop a
12 foot-high stump, protected the Subanon
from enemies, who could not strike with the
spear from below. The ladder, made of a
notched tree trunk, was pulled up by residents,
thus preventing the enemies’ quick and sudden
entry.