Barangay Punong

Situated in Matalom, Leyte, Barangay Punong is one of 30 barangays that make up the municipality within Eastern Visayas.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Punong had a population of 1,123. This made it the 13th largest of 30 barangays in Matalom by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Punong accounted for approximately 3.45% of the total population of Matalom, which stood at 32,586 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 997 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 1,123 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +12.6%, consistent with a growing settlement. Barangay Punong is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Matalom is a municipality comprising 30 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Punong, 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 Punong ranks 541st 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.

The barangay's legislative and executive affairs are handled by a Punong Barangay and the Sangguniang Barangay, elected nationwide during the Barangay and SK Elections. The next BSKE is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, following the synchronized election schedule set by COMELEC Resolution No. 11191.