Barangay Balza

Situated in Malinao, Albay, Barangay Balza is one of 29 barangays that make up the municipality within Bicol Region.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Balza had a population of 2,279. This made it the 6th largest of 29 barangays in Malinao by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Balza accounted for approximately 4.81% of the total population of Malinao, which stood at 47,395 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 2,084 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 2,279 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +9.4%, consistent with a growing settlement. Barangay Balza is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Malinao is a municipality comprising 29 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Balza, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Albay, which contains 720 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Balza ranks 187th by 2020 population. Albay is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Balza 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.