Barangay Malabago

Barangay Malabago is a very small barangay in the municipality of Santo Tomas, located in the province of La Union, in the Ilocos Region region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Malabago had a population of 466. This made it the 24th largest of 24 barangays in Santo Tomas by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Malabago accounted for approximately 1.14% of the total population of Santo Tomas, which stood at 40,846 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Malabago moving from 534 residents to 466 residents, an intercensal change of -12.7%. The trajectory indicates a contracting community. Barangay Malabago is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Santo Tomas is a municipality comprising 24 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Malabago, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of La Union, which contains 576 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Malabago ranks 547th by 2020 population. La Union 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.