Barangay Gawil

Classified as a small barangay, Barangay Gawil is one of the administrative divisions of Kumalarang in Zamboanga Del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Gawil had a population of 1,693. This made it the 5th largest of 18 barangays in Kumalarang by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Gawil accounted for approximately 5.74% of the total population of Kumalarang, which stood at 29,479 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Gawil moving from 1,676 residents to 1,693 residents, an intercensal change of +1.0%. The trajectory indicates a slowly expanding community. Barangay Gawil is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Kumalarang is a municipality comprising 18 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Gawil, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Zamboanga Del Sur, which contains 779 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Gawil ranks 176th by 2020 population. Zamboanga Del Sur 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 Gawil 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.