Barangay Potingbato

Classified as a small barangay, Barangay Potingbato is one of the administrative divisions of Esperanza in Masbate, Bicol Region, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Potingbato had a population of 951. This made it the 7th largest of 20 barangays in Esperanza by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Potingbato accounted for approximately 5.42% of the total population of Esperanza, which stood at 17,534 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 1,048 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 951 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -9.3%, consistent with a contracting settlement. Barangay Potingbato is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Esperanza is a municipality comprising 20 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Potingbato, 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 Potingbato ranks 385th 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.

Barangay Potingbato 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.