Barangay Palarao

Classified as a mid-sized barangay, Barangay Palarao is one of the administrative divisions of Leyte in Leyte, Eastern Visayas, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Palarao had a population of 2,506. This made it the 3rd largest of 30 barangays in Leyte by population, placing it among the most populous barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Palarao accounted for approximately 6.20% of the total population of Leyte, which stood at 40,397 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Palarao changed from 2,751 to 2,506, a shift of -8.9% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in Leyte. Barangay Palarao is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Leyte is a municipality comprising 30 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Palarao, 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 Palarao ranks 138th 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.

Barangay Palarao 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.