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, 101 to 150 shown, most people first.

Barangays in Samar, most people
Rank	Name	People, 2024	People per km²	Area	Growth, 2020–2024	Urban or rural
101	Maduroto Pob.Matuguinao, Samar	1,673	about 240	about 6.97 km²	−0.61% a year	Rural
102	BiosoZumarraga, Samar	1,659	about 721	about 2.30 km²	1.27% a year	Rural
103	PupuaCatbalogan City, Samar	1,659	about 173	about 9.60 km²	0.96% a year	Rural
104	Mag-ubayCalbayog City, Samar	1,646	about 518	about 3.18 km²	0.41% a year	Rural
105	BasudCalbayog City, Samar	1,636	about 730	about 2.24 km²	0.33% a year	Rural
106	MahayagVillareal, Samar	1,626	about 1,232	about 1.32 km²	1.00% a year	Rural
107	LipataParanas, Samar	1,623	about 788	about 2.06 km²	−0.35% a year	Rural
108	AstorgaDaram, Samar	1,622	about 603	about 2.69 km²	−3.09% a year	Rural
109	BegahoCalbayog City, Samar	1,619	about 861	about 1.88 km²	1.05% a year	Rural
110	Lawaan IParanas, Samar	1,600	about 129	about 12.41 km²	1.97% a year	Rural
111	San RoqueCatbalogan City, Samar	1,589	about 1,660	about 0.957 km²	2.15% a year	Rural
112	San AndresVillareal, Samar	1,584	about 211	about 7.51 km²	0.84% a year	Rural
113	IloSanto Niño, Samar	1,583	about 528	about 3.00 km²	1.96% a year	Rural
114	BinanalanSanta Rita, Samar	1,575	about 233	about 6.75 km²	−0.51% a year	Rural
115	CabatuanCalbayog City, Samar	1,543	about 102	about 15.14 km²	1.74% a year	Rural
116	NapuroSanta Margarita, Samar	1,541	about 407	about 3.79 km²	−0.35% a year	Rural
117	AnislagCalbayog City, Samar	1,533	about 1,988	about 0.771 km²	1.72% a year	Rural
118	BangonPinabacdao, Samar	1,527	about 1,157	about 1.32 km²	0.83% a year	Rural
119	MuñozCatbalogan City, Samar	1,522	about 11,029	about 0.138 km²	−2.78% a year	Rural
120	Gumamela Pob.Santa Rita, Samar	1,519	about 133	about 11.38 km²	3.92% a year	Rural
121	TayudVillareal, Samar	1,514	about 7,608	about 0.199 km²	9.17% a year	Rural
122	MambogPinabacdao, Samar	1,510	about 1,495	about 1.01 km²	1.18% a year	Rural
123	Old MahayagCatbalogan City, Samar	1,505	about 604	about 2.49 km²	1.17% a year	Rural
124	BasudSanto Niño, Samar	1,504	about 557	about 2.70 km²	2.64% a year	Rural
125	LoogBasey, Samar	1,504	about 35	about 43.11 km²	0.78% a year	Rural
126	AslumSanta Rita, Samar	1,500	about 510	about 2.94 km²	2.32% a year	Rural
127	SalvacionBasey, Samar	1,491	about 1,073	about 1.39 km²	−0.32% a year	Rural
128	CanticumCalbiga, Samar	1,477	about 147	about 10.05 km²	0.85% a year	Rural
129	MalayogCalbayog City, Samar	1,470	about 1,035	about 1.42 km²	2.01% a year	Rural
130	Can-abayBasey, Samar	1,469	about 1,516	about 0.969 km²	−6.35% a year	Rural
131	Poblacion 7Catbalogan City, Samar	1,456	about 12,552	about 0.116 km²	1.51% a year	Urban
132	MayabayDaram, Samar	1,448	about 570	about 2.54 km²	1.66% a year	Rural
133	Poblacion Barangay 1Talalora, Samar	1,445	about 1,095	about 1.32 km²	−0.67% a year	Rural
134	BasiaoBasey, Samar	1,437	about 90	about 15.92 km²	0.08% a year	Rural
135	MalihaoHinabangan, Samar	1,432	about 417	about 3.43 km²	0.20% a year	Rural
136	San AgustinGandara, Samar	1,430	about 455	about 3.14 km²	2.39% a year	Rural
137	CogonBasey, Samar	1,429	about 440	about 3.25 km²	3.14% a year	Rural
138	New MahayagCatbalogan City, Samar	1,425	about 183	about 7.79 km²	0.55% a year	Rural
139	Poblacion Barangay 2Talalora, Samar	1,422	about 655	about 2.17 km²	3.50% a year	Rural
140	PalaleSanta Margarita, Samar	1,413	about 476	about 2.97 km²	0.34% a year	Rural
141	BagacayHinabangan, Samar	1,411	about 124	about 11.37 km²	0.96% a year	Rural
142	PatongCalbiga, Samar	1,405	about 496	about 2.83 km²	0.66% a year	Rural
143	MindaGandara, Samar	1,401	about 1,360	about 1.03 km²	−1.80% a year	Rural
144	HinangudtanSanta Rita, Samar	1,391	about 154	about 9.04 km²	−0.44% a year	Rural
145	Mabuligon Pob.Matuguinao, Samar	1,391	about 145	about 9.62 km²	−0.31% a year	Rural
146	Poblacion IMotiong, Samar	1,390	about 623	about 2.23 km²	1.34% a year	Rural
147	San IsidroZumarraga, Samar	1,388	about 588	about 2.36 km²	−0.43% a year	Rural
148	BulaoBasey, Samar	1,387	about 21	about 64.65 km²	1.14% a year	Rural
149	BantianCalbayog City, Samar	1,386	about 316	about 4.39 km²	0.12% a year	Rural
150	MabuhayMarabut, Samar	1,383	about 174	about 7.96 km²	−0.05% 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.