Thimuay (also spelled thimuway, timuay, and thimuway, among other variations) is the name of the most senior ancestral leader among the Subanon people of the Zamboanga Peninsula in the Philippines. Less senior ancestral leaders are called "datu", just as they are elsewhere in the Philippines. Thimuay is equivalent to the titles "lakan", "sultan", or "rajah" in other Philippine cultures.
A greatly honored thimuay is sometimes additionally called a thimuay labi, with the word "labi" simply being a descriptor meaning "highest" or most senior. In predominantly Muslim Subanon communities, the term solotan is sometimes used instead of thimuay.
Timuay refers to a traditional governance system of the Teduray and Lambangian peoples in Mindanao, Philippines, highlighting its communal, collective, and pluralist foundations. Rooted in the term timu—to gather—the Timuay Justice and Governance (TJG) system embodies Indigenous philosophies of relationality, equality, and peace through collective leadership, community participation, and stewardship of nature. The article traces its historical resilience against colonial and state suppression, its clandestine survival during conflicts, and its revival through Indigenous movements and legal recognition under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA). Confronting the erosion of communal values under capitalism, TJG emerges as both a critique of individualist, profit-oriented systems and a living alternative grounded in communal ownership, ecological guardianship, and pluralism. By restoring and strengthening Timuay practices, the article argues, Indigenous communities not only reclaim self-determination but also offer a vital vision of justice and sustainability for contemporary society.