Barangay Matalao

Barangay Matalao is a small barangay in the municipality of Santo Niño, located in the province of Cagayan, in the Cagayan Valley region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Matalao had a population of 1,115. This made it the 10th largest of 31 barangays in Santo Niño by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Matalao accounted for approximately 3.91% of the total population of Santo Niño, which stood at 28,537 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 914 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 1,115 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +22.0%, consistent with a growing settlement. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Matalao as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Santo Niño is a municipality comprising 31 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Matalao, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Cagayan, which contains 820 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Matalao ranks 451st by 2020 population. Cagayan is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Matalao 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.