Barangay Gacao

Barangay Gacao forms part of Palo, a municipality in Leyte, and is classified as a mid-sized barangay.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Gacao had a population of 3,528. This made it the 6th largest of 33 barangays in Palo by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Gacao accounted for approximately 4.63% of the total population of Palo, which stood at 76,213 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Gacao changed from 2,971 to 3,528, a shift of +18.7% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Palo. Barangay Gacao is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Palo is a municipality comprising 33 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Gacao, 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 Gacao ranks 59th 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 Gacao 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.