Barangay Cartagena Proper

Situated in Plaridel, Misamis Occidental, Barangay Cartagena Proper is one of 33 barangays that make up the municipality within Northern Mindanao.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Cartagena Proper had a population of 720. This made it the 23rd largest of 33 barangays in Plaridel by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Cartagena Proper accounted for approximately 1.81% of the total population of Plaridel, which stood at 39,840 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 682 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 720 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +5.6%, consistent with a growing settlement. Barangay Cartagena Proper is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Plaridel is a municipality comprising 33 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Cartagena Proper, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Misamis Occidental, which contains 490 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Cartagena Proper ranks 303rd by 2020 population. Misamis Occidental 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.