Barangay Punawan

Situated in Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay, Barangay Punawan is one of 18 barangays that make up the municipality within Zamboanga Peninsula.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Punawan had a population of 1,466. This made it the 13th largest of 18 barangays in Mabuhay by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Punawan accounted for approximately 3.92% of the total population of Mabuhay, which stood at 37,390 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Punawan moving from 1,405 residents to 1,466 residents, an intercensal change of +4.3%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. Barangay Punawan is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Mabuhay is a municipality comprising 18 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Punawan, 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 Punawan ranks 176th 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.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Punawan 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.