Barangay Palobandera

Barangay Palobandera is a small barangay in the municipality of Cawayan, located in the province of Masbate, in the Bicol Region region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Palobandera had a population of 610. This made it the 37th largest of 37 barangays in Cawayan by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Palobandera accounted for approximately 0.88% of the total population of Cawayan, which stood at 69,265 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 678 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 610 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -10.0%, consistent with a contracting settlement. Barangay Palobandera is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Cawayan is a municipality comprising 37 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Palobandera, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Masbate, which contains 550 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Palobandera ranks 483rd by 2020 population. Masbate 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.