Barangay Bethlehem

Barangay Bethlehem is a small barangay in the municipality of Polanco, located in the province of Zamboanga Del Norte, in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Bethlehem had a population of 799. This made it the 24th largest of 30 barangays in Polanco by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Bethlehem accounted for approximately 1.89% of the total population of Polanco, which stood at 42,265 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Bethlehem moving from 680 residents to 799 residents, an intercensal change of +17.5%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Bethlehem as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Polanco is a municipality comprising 30 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Bethlehem, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Zamboanga Del Norte, which contains 691 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Bethlehem ranks 473rd by 2020 population. Zamboanga Del Norte is classified as a 1st 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.