Barangay Malibatuan

Classified as a mid-sized barangay, Barangay Malibatuan is one of the administrative divisions of Arakan in Cotabato, SOCCSKSARGEN, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Malibatuan had a population of 3,529. This made it the 3rd largest of 28 barangays in Arakan by population, placing it among the most populous barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Malibatuan accounted for approximately 6.98% of the total population of Arakan, which stood at 50,558 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Malibatuan changed from 3,882 to 3,529, a shift of -9.1% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in Arakan. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Malibatuan as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Arakan is a municipality comprising 28 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Malibatuan, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Cotabato, which contains 543 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Malibatuan ranks 94th by 2020 population. Cotabato is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Malibatuan is governed by an elected Sangguniang Barangay composed of a Punong Barangay and seven kagawads, with the Sangguniang Kabataan representing the youth. The next BSKE, set for Monday, November 2, 2026, will elect officials to four-year terms as provided under Republic Act No. 12232.