Barangay Palo Maria (Pob.)

Barangay Palo Maria (Pob.) is a mid-sized barangay in the municipality of Bongabon, located in the province of Nueva Ecija, in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Palo Maria (Pob.) had a population of 2,423. This made it the 12th largest of 28 barangays in Bongabon by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Palo Maria (Pob.) accounted for approximately 3.63% of the total population of Bongabon, which stood at 66,839 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Palo Maria (Pob.) changed from 2,288 to 2,423, a shift of +5.9% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Bongabon. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Palo Maria (Pob.) as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Bongabon is a municipality comprising 28 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Palo Maria (Pob.), including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Nueva Ecija, which contains 849 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Palo Maria (Pob.) ranks 353rd by 2020 population. Nueva Ecija 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 Palo Maria (Pob.) 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.