Barangay Tarugan

Barangay Tarugan is a very small barangay in the municipality of La Paz, located in the province of Leyte, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Tarugan had a population of 420. This made it the 19th largest of 35 barangays in La Paz by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Tarugan accounted for approximately 2.19% of the total population of La Paz, which stood at 19,174 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Tarugan moving from 420 residents to 420 residents, an intercensal change of 0.0%. The trajectory indicates a broadly stable community. Barangay Tarugan is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

La Paz is a municipality comprising 35 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Tarugan, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Leyte, which contains 1,641 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Tarugan ranks 1244th by 2020 population. Leyte 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 Tarugan 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.