Barangay Kibugtongan

Situated in Carmen, Cotabato, Barangay Kibugtongan is one of 28 barangays that make up the municipality within SOCCSKSARGEN.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Kibugtongan had a population of 3,824. This made it the 6th largest of 28 barangays in Carmen by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Kibugtongan accounted for approximately 3.55% of the total population of Carmen, which stood at 107,603 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Kibugtongan changed from 3,964 to 3,824, a shift of -3.5% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in Carmen. Barangay Kibugtongan is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Carmen is a municipality comprising 28 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Kibugtongan, 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 Kibugtongan ranks 81st 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.

The barangay's legislative and executive affairs are handled by a Punong Barangay and the Sangguniang Barangay, elected nationwide during the Barangay and SK Elections. The next BSKE is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, following the synchronized election schedule set by COMELEC Resolution No. 11191.