Barangay Panikihan

Barangay Panikihan forms part of Pola, a municipality in Oriental Mindoro, and is classified as a small barangay.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Panikihan had a population of 1,617. This made it the 9th largest of 23 barangays in Pola by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Panikihan accounted for approximately 4.56% of the total population of Pola, which stood at 35,455 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 1,565 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 1,617 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +3.3%, consistent with a growing settlement. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Panikihan as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Pola is a municipality comprising 23 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Panikihan, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Oriental Mindoro, which contains 426 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Panikihan ranks 234th by 2020 population. Oriental Mindoro is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Panikihan 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.