Barangay Malatawan

Situated in Palanas, Masbate, Barangay Malatawan is one of 24 barangays that make up the municipality within Bicol Region.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Malatawan had a population of 610. This made it the 19th largest of 24 barangays in Palanas by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Malatawan accounted for approximately 2.23% of the total population of Palanas, which stood at 27,322 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Malatawan changed from 477 to 610, a shift of +27.9% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Palanas. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Malatawan as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Palanas is a municipality comprising 24 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Malatawan, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Masbate, which contains 550 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Malatawan ranks 484th by 2020 population. Masbate 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 Malatawan 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.