The Atlas

Barangays in Samar

The barangay is the smallest local government: where the government's plans and services reach the community, and where neighbours settle disputes.^[1] A punong barangay, often called the kapitan, leads it with seven elected kagawad and the chairperson of the Sangguniang Kabataan.^[1]

A barangay is created by law or by an ordinance of its province or city, and only when its voters approve it in a plebiscite. It needs at least 2,000 people, or 5,000 in Metro Manila and the highly urbanized cities.^[1]

Open Samar

Barangays in Samar, at a glance

Barangays: 951^[2]
People, 2024CensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary: 806,179^[3]
Urban or ruralUrban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary: 33 urban^[4]; 918 rural, as the PSA classes each barangay.
Most people: Mercedes^[5]; Catbalogan City, Samar; 12,964 people
Largest by landLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary: Camonoan^[6]; Matuguinao, Samar; about 269.78 km²
Fastest growing, 5,000 people or moreGrowth a yearHow fast the number of people changed each year between two censuses. 1% a year means about 1 more person for every 100 people, each year.More in the glossary: Maulong^{[5, 7]}; Catbalogan City, Samar; 1.42% a year, 2020 to 2024
Fewer people than in 2020Growth a yearHow fast the number of people changed each year between two censuses. 1% a year means about 1 more person for every 100 people, each year.More in the glossary: 349 barangays^[7]; Of those with 5,000 people or more, the steepest fall: Canlapwas, −1.50% a year.

Each row is a barangay, with its 2024 census figures. Choose a column heading or a sort button to order the list, and choose it again to turn the order round. Narrow it with the menus.

951 barangays, 751 to 800 shown, most people first.

Barangays in Samar, most people
Rank	Name	People, 2024	People per km²	Area	Growth, 2020–2024	Urban or rural
751	LibasCatbalogan City, Samar	283	about 31	about 9.11 km²	−3.26% a year	Rural
752	Lunang IIAlmagro, Samar	283	about 116	about 2.43 km²	−10.19% a year	Rural
753	BughoPinabacdao, Samar	282	about 70	about 4.01 km²	1.05% a year	Rural
754	IbarraZumarraga, Samar	282	about 149	about 1.89 km²	−1.39% a year	Rural
755	CalantawanMotiong, Samar	281	about 99	about 2.83 km²	−0.51% a year	Rural
756	Barangay 3Calbiga, Samar	280	about 8,642	about 0.0324 km²	−2.11% a year	Rural
757	MercadoVillareal, Samar	280	about 14,000	about 0.020 km²	0.52% a year	Rural
758	NagbacJiabong, Samar	280	about 86	about 3.25 km²	−1.88% a year	Rural
759	Catato Pob.Marabut, Samar	279	about 15,330	about 0.0182 km²	−2.27% a year	Rural
760	LayoPinabacdao, Samar	278	about 21	about 13.13 km²	2.78% a year	Rural
761	MararangsiMotiong, Samar	278	about 131	about 2.12 km²	3.80% a year	Rural
762	MalobagoAlmagro, Samar	277	about 772	about 0.359 km²	−2.51% a year	Rural
763	PolangiVillareal, Samar	276	about 45	about 6.08 km²	−2.75% a year	Rural
764	BinalayanTarangnan, Samar	273	about 68	about 3.99 km²	1.08% a year	Rural
765	CaugbusanGandara, Samar	273	about 37	about 7.30 km²	−1.52% a year	Rural
766	LawaanPinabacdao, Samar	273	about 90	about 3.02 km²	−2.93% a year	Rural
767	LincoroSan Jorge, Samar	273	about 44	about 6.27 km²	0.90% a year	Rural
768	OdocMarabut, Samar	273	about 90	about 3.05 km²	−1.84% a year	Rural
769	BangonCatbalogan City, Samar	272	about 76	about 3.60 km²	0.00% a year	Rural
770	BungliwSan Jorge, Samar	272	about 8	about 32.47 km²	2.04% a year	Rural
771	BalbaganParanas, Samar	270	about 30	about 8.92 km²	2.66% a year	Rural
772	PoblacionAlmagro, Samar	270	about 299	about 0.904 km²	1.96% a year	Rural
773	Bino-onganVillareal, Samar	269	about 256	about 1.05 km²	2.57% a year	Rural
774	CanatuanMotiong, Samar	268	about 88	about 3.03 km²	1.58% a year	Rural
775	Santo Niño Pob.Marabut, Samar	267	about 11,609	about 0.023 km²	−1.13% a year	Rural
776	HigasaanCalbayog City, Samar	266	about 10	about 26.92 km²	10.11% a year	Rural
777	GeregananGandara, Samar	265	about 381	about 0.695 km²	2.40% a year	Rural
778	ArapisonSanta Margarita, Samar	263	about 175	about 1.50 km²	4.37% a year	Rural
779	CambayePagsanghan, Samar	263	about 260	about 1.01 km²	−2.40% a year	Rural
780	CabaywaSan Sebastian, Samar	262	about 124	about 2.12 km²	6.06% a year	Rural
781	KalilihanCalbayog City, Samar	261	about 34	about 7.58 km²	0.65% a year	Rural
782	MalobagoMotiong, Samar	260	about 56	about 4.67 km²	0.00% a year	Rural
783	Lawa-anVillareal, Samar	259	about 95	about 2.74 km²	−1.34% a year	Rural
784	San AntonioCalbayog City, Samar	259	about 36	about 7.19 km²	−0.99% a year	Rural
785	TawiranGandara, Samar	259	about 74	about 3.49 km²	2.05% a year	Rural
786	BucalanHinabangan, Samar	258	about 42	about 6.15 km²	−1.86% a year	Rural
787	CaamlonganCalbiga, Samar	257	about 34	about 7.51 km²	2.91% a year	Rural
788	CantaguicSan Jorge, Samar	257	about 59	about 4.35 km²	0.57% a year	Rural
789	Lucob-lucobDaram, Samar	257	about 316	about 0.813 km²	−2.03% a year	Rural
790	OtocCalbiga, Samar	257	about 107	about 2.41 km²	−3.09% a year	Rural
791	QuezonCalbayog City, Samar	257	about 117	about 2.20 km²	−0.28% a year	Rural
792	Roxas ICalbayog City, Samar	255	about 18	about 14.39 km²	3.49% a year	Rural
793	AngyapMotiong, Samar	254	about 51	about 4.96 km²	−5.25% a year	Rural
794	PatagVillareal, Samar	254	about 40	about 6.28 km²	−0.28% a year	Rural
795	Hugon RosalesCalbayog City, Samar	253	about 77	about 3.28 km²	−6.38% a year	Rural
796	HinagaJiabong, Samar	251	about 70	about 3.61 km²	−3.00% a year	Rural
797	Costa RicaAlmagro, Samar	250	about 302	about 0.829 km²	−8.31% a year	Rural
798	NabuloSanta Margarita, Samar	250	about 23	about 10.95 km²	0.10% a year	Rural
799	BulaoCalbiga, Samar	249	about 180	about 1.38 km²	−9.64% a year	Rural
800	CagusipanCatbalogan City, Samar	249	about 14	about 17.66 km²	1.82% a year	Rural

How it fits

A barangay is the smallest unit of government, led by a punong barangay (the kapitan) and a council of kagawad. Every city and municipality is made up of barangays.

Sources

The list shows each place's own figures: people from the PSA's 2024 census, growth from its 2020 census, land areas from the Land Management Bureau's 2019 masterlist. A barangay's area is measured inside its border on UN OCHA's map and is approximate, and a barangay shows no growth where its border changed after 2020. Every figure's source is on its place's page; how Scene works out the rest.

1.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 7160: the Local Government Code of 1991. Published October 10, 1991. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
2.Philippine Statistics Authority. Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC), 2nd Quarter 2026: Publication Datafile. Published June 30, 2026. Read by Scene September 24, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
3.Philippine Statistics Authority. Population and Annual Population Growth Rate of the Philippines and its Regions, Provinces, and Highly Urbanized Cities Based on the 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2024 Population Census (OpenSTAT table 0211A6DAPG0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
4.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population and Urban Population by Urban Classification and Region, Province, Highly Urbanized City, City/Municipality and Barangay: Philippines, 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0231A6DPUP0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
5.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population, Household Population, and Number of Households by Province, City, Municipality, and Barangay as of 01 July 2024: Eastern Visayas (OpenSTAT table 0081A6DTPH7). Published August 5, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
6.UN OCHA, from the PSA and NAMRIA. Philippines: Subnational Administrative Boundaries (COD-AB), barangay layer. Published February 13, 2025. Read by Scene September 25, 2026. CC BY-IGO 3.0. Open the source
7.Philippine Statistics Authority. Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC), 4th Quarter 2022: Publication Datafile, with the 2015 and 2020 census counts (the PSA's file, as the Internet Archive keeps it). Published December 31, 2022. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source

Scene adds what the sources do not print themselves: growth rates, shares, barangay areas and densities, coordinates, neighbours and distances, each computed from the figures and borders above. How each is made.

See something wrong on this page? Write to hello@scene.ph with the page address. We check every report against the source.