Barangay Sayao

Barangay Sayao is a very small barangay in the municipality of Kabasalan, located in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Sayao had a population of 449. This made it the 28th largest of 29 barangays in Kabasalan by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Sayao accounted for approximately 0.96% of the total population of Kabasalan, which stood at 46,884 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 379 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 449 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +18.5%, consistent with a growing settlement. Barangay Sayao is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Kabasalan is a municipality comprising 29 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Sayao, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Zamboanga Sibugay, which contains 389 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Sayao ranks 371st by 2020 population. Zamboanga Sibugay is classified as a 2nd 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.