Barangay Lawgawan

Barangay Lawgawan is a very small barangay in the municipality of Bontoc, located in the province of Southern Leyte, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Lawgawan had a population of 111. This made it the 40th largest of 40 barangays in Bontoc by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Lawgawan accounted for approximately 0.37% of the total population of Bontoc, which stood at 29,799 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 182 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 111 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -39.0%, consistent with a contracting settlement. Barangay Lawgawan is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Bontoc is a municipality comprising 40 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Lawgawan, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Southern Leyte, which contains 500 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Lawgawan ranks 492nd by 2020 population. Southern Leyte is classified as a 3rd by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Lawgawan 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.