Barangay Malapaya

Barangay Malapaya is a small barangay in the municipality of Sara, located in the province of Iloilo, in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Malapaya had a population of 1,566. This made it the 13th largest of 42 barangays in Sara by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Malapaya accounted for approximately 2.87% of the total population of Sara, which stood at 54,637 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Malapaya moving from 1,424 residents to 1,566 residents, an intercensal change of +10.0%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. Barangay Malapaya is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Sara is a municipality comprising 42 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Malapaya, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Iloilo, which contains 1,901 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Malapaya ranks 409th by 2020 population. Iloilo 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 Malapaya 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.