Barangay Pilar

Situated in Santa Maria, Pangasinan, Barangay Pilar is one of 23 barangays that make up the municipality within Ilocos Region.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Pilar had a population of 2,005. This made it the 8th largest of 23 barangays in Santa Maria by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Pilar accounted for approximately 5.86% of the total population of Santa Maria, which stood at 34,220 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Pilar changed from 1,851 to 2,005, a shift of +8.3% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Santa Maria. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Pilar as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Santa Maria is a municipality comprising 23 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Pilar, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Pangasinan, which contains 1,364 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Pilar ranks 625th by 2020 population. Pangasinan is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Pilar 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.