Barangay Palale

Classified as a small barangay, Barangay Palale is one of the administrative divisions of Santa Margarita in Samar, Eastern Visayas, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Palale had a population of 1,393. This made it the 8th largest of 36 barangays in Santa Margarita by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Palale accounted for approximately 5.19% of the total population of Santa Margarita, which stood at 26,816 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 1,470 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 1,393 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -5.2%, consistent with a contracting settlement. Barangay Palale is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Santa Margarita is a municipality comprising 36 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Palale, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Samar, which contains 951 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Palale ranks 139th by 2020 population. Samar is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Palale is led by an elected Punong Barangay (barangay captain) supported by seven Sangguniang Barangay members (kagawads), an SK Chairperson, a Barangay Secretary, and a Barangay Treasurer. The next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, with officials serving four-year terms under Republic Act No. 12232.