Barangay Gastay

Barangay Gastay is a mid-sized barangay in the municipality of Banisilan, located in the province of Cotabato, in the SOCCSKSARGEN region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Gastay had a population of 2,199. This made it the 9th largest of 20 barangays in Banisilan by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Gastay accounted for approximately 4.68% of the total population of Banisilan, which stood at 46,995 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Gastay changed from 2,243 to 2,199, a shift of -2.0% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with broadly stable populations in Banisilan. Barangay Gastay is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Banisilan is a municipality comprising 20 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Gastay, 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 Gastay ranks 212th 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 Gastay 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.