Barangay Santa Maria

Barangay Santa Maria forms part of Buguey, a municipality in Cagayan, and is classified as a small barangay.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Maria had a population of 740. This made it the 23rd largest of 30 barangays in Buguey by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Maria accounted for approximately 2.30% of the total population of Buguey, which stood at 32,148 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Santa Maria changed from 668 to 740, a shift of +10.8% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Buguey. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria ranks 645th 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.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Santa Maria 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.