Barangay Malaya

Barangay Malaya is a mid-sized barangay in the municipality of Banga, located in the province of South Cotabato, in the SOCCSKSARGEN region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Malaya had a population of 4,424. This made it the 11th largest of 22 barangays in Banga by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Malaya accounted for approximately 4.96% of the total population of Banga, which stood at 89,164 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 4,464 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 4,424 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -0.9%, consistent with a broadly stable settlement. Barangay Malaya is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Banga is a municipality comprising 22 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Malaya, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of South Cotabato, which contains 225 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Malaya ranks 70th by 2020 population. South Cotabato is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

The barangay's legislative and executive affairs are handled by a Punong Barangay and the Sangguniang Barangay, elected nationwide during the Barangay and SK Elections. The next BSKE is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, following the synchronized election schedule set by COMELEC Resolution No. 11191.