Barangay Bulawan

Barangay Bulawan is a mid-sized barangay in the municipality of Payao, located in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Bulawan had a population of 3,472. This made it the 2nd largest of 29 barangays in Payao by population, placing it among the most populous barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Bulawan accounted for approximately 9.93% of the total population of Payao, which stood at 34,952 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 3,148 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 3,472 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +10.3%, consistent with a growing settlement. Barangay Bulawan is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Payao is a municipality comprising 29 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Bulawan, 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 Bulawan ranks 31st 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.

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.