Barangay Pao-o

Situated in Santa Maria, Laguna, Barangay Pao-o is one of 25 barangays that make up the municipality within CALABARZON.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Pao-o had a population of 827. This made it the 18th largest of 25 barangays in Santa Maria by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Pao-o accounted for approximately 2.40% of the total population of Santa Maria, which stood at 34,511 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 776 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 827 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +6.6%, consistent with a growing settlement. Barangay Pao-o is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Santa Maria is a municipality comprising 25 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Pao-o, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Laguna, which contains 681 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Pao-o ranks 505th by 2020 population. Laguna is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Pao-o 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.