Barangay Maria Caridad

Situated in Arakan, Cotabato, Barangay Maria Caridad is one of 28 barangays that make up the municipality within SOCCSKSARGEN.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Maria Caridad had a population of 805. This made it the 23rd largest of 28 barangays in Arakan by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Maria Caridad accounted for approximately 1.59% 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 Maria Caridad changed from 690 to 805, a shift of +16.7% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Arakan. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Maria Caridad 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 Maria Caridad, 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 Maria Caridad ranks 451st 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.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Maria Caridad is led by an elected Punong Barangay (barangay captain) supported by seven Sangguniang Barangay members (kagawads), an SK Chairperson, a Barangay Secretary, and a Barangay Treasurer. The next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, with officials serving four-year terms under Republic Act No. 12232.