Lapuyan (; Subanen: Benwa Dlepuyan; , Jawi: ايڠد نو لڤوين; Chavacano: Municipalidad de Lapuyan; ), is a municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines.
According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 28,686 people. The municipality of Lapuyan is located in the southern section of the Zamboanga del Sur province. It is also often referred to as "Little America".
History
Lapuyan was created by separating the barrios of Lapuyan, Maruing, Kumalarang, Karpok, and Timbang, all of the municipality of Margosatubig and formed 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 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. Through Presidential Proclamation 694, October 16, 2024 was declared a special non-working day in celebration of its 67th founding anniversary.
Upon creation into a regular municipality, the existing barrios within its jurisdiction were Poblacion, Kumalarang, Maruing, Carpok, Bulawan, Lakewood and Sayog.
Geography
Lapuyan covers an area of of land, 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 in Zamboanga del Sur.
Climate
Barangays
Lapuyan is politically subdivided into 26 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
- Bulawan
- Danganan
- Dansal
- Dumara
- Karpok
- Lenok Madalum
- Luanan
- Lubosan
- Mahalingeb
- Mandeg
- Maralag
- Maruing
- Molum
- Pampang
- Pantad
- Pingalay
- Poblacion
- Salambuyan
- San Jose
- Sayog
- Tabon
- Talabob
- Tiguha
- Tininghalang
- Tipasan
- Tugaya
Demographics
Languages
Subanen, Cebuano, Maguindanaon, Chavacano, Tagalog/Filipino, English
Economy
Government
Upon the municipality's inauguration on April 21, 1958, the first appointed mayor was Mayor Coco Imbing Sia (nephew of Datu Lumok Imbing) and the first appointed Vice Mayor was 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 two years from 1957 to 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, and four others; they served from 1960 to 1963.
Below is a list of municipal officials who served as mayors and vice mayors of the municipality of Lapuyan.