Barangay Sowa

Situated in San Fernando, Masbate, Barangay Sowa is one of 26 barangays that make up the municipality within Bicol Region.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Sowa had a population of 566. This made it the 19th largest of 26 barangays in San Fernando by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Sowa accounted for approximately 2.62% of the total population of San Fernando, which stood at 21,600 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Sowa changed from 591 to 566, a shift of -4.2% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in San Fernando. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Sowa as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

San Fernando is a municipality comprising 26 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Sowa, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Masbate, which contains 550 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Sowa ranks 504th by 2020 population. Masbate 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.