Barangay Mala Este

Situated in Buguey, Cagayan, Barangay Mala Este is one of 30 barangays that make up the municipality within Cagayan Valley.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Mala Este had a population of 402. This made it the 29th largest of 30 barangays in Buguey by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Mala Este accounted for approximately 1.25% of the total population of Buguey, which stood at 32,148 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Mala Este moving from 379 residents to 402 residents, an intercensal change of +6.1%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Mala Este as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Buguey is a municipality comprising 30 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Mala Este, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Cagayan, which contains 820 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Mala Este ranks 752nd by 2020 population. Cagayan is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Mala Este 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.