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, 1 to 50 shown, most people first.

Barangays in Samar, most people
Rank	Name	People, 2024	People per km²	Area	Growth, 2020–2024	Urban or rural
1	MercedesCatbalogan City, Samar	12,964	about 7,717	about 1.68 km²	1.31% a year	Urban
2	CanlapwasCatbalogan City, Samar	11,085	about 15,836	about 0.70 km²	−1.50% a year	Urban
3	San PolicarpoCalbayog City, Samar	6,354	about 2,132	about 2.98 km²	−1.17% a year	Urban
4	MaulongCatbalogan City, Samar	6,314	about 1,315	about 4.80 km²	1.42% a year	Urban
5	DagumCalbayog City, Samar	6,199	about 3,351	about 1.85 km²	0.28% a year	Urban
6	San JoaquinCalbayog City, Samar	6,128	about 439	about 13.97 km²	0.63% a year	Urban
7	San AndresCatbalogan City, Samar	6,042	about 1,038	about 5.82 km²	0.58% a year	Urban
8	CapoocanCalbayog City, Samar	5,215	about 6,399	about 0.815 km²	0.11% a year	Urban
9	CaraymanCalbayog City, Samar	5,137	about 2,676	about 1.92 km²	0.31% a year	Urban
10	RawisCalbayog City, Samar	5,015	about 1,951	about 2.57 km²	−0.29% a year	Urban
11	TingibBasey, Samar	4,910	about 1,453	about 3.38 km²	7.50% a year	Rural
12	Poblacion 13Catbalogan City, Samar	4,777	about 12,094	about 0.395 km²	2.75% a year	Urban
13	BunuananCatbalogan City, Samar	4,738	about 4,307	about 1.10 km²	−0.24% a year	Rural
14	HamorawonCalbayog City, Samar	4,658	about 18,707	about 0.249 km²	0.11% a year	Rural
15	GuinsoronganCatbalogan City, Samar	4,490	about 5,179	about 0.867 km²	1.30% a year	Rural
16	TrinidadCalbayog City, Samar	4,401	about 1,497	about 2.94 km²	−0.22% a year	Urban
17	ObreroCalbayog City, Samar	4,215	about 9,472	about 0.445 km²	−2.28% a year	Urban
18	MatobatoCalbayog City, Samar	4,101	about 4,714	about 0.87 km²	−2.38% a year	Urban
19	CautodSanta Margarita, Samar	3,769	about 2,447	about 1.54 km²	0.84% a year	Rural
20	GuindaponanCatbalogan City, Samar	3,551	about 1,869	about 1.90 km²	−0.31% a year	Rural
21	PangdanCatbalogan City, Samar	3,391	about 955	about 3.55 km²	0.41% a year	Rural
22	BagacayCalbayog City, Samar	3,352	about 2,149	about 1.56 km²	0.65% a year	Urban
23	Tinambacan SurCalbayog City, Samar	3,286	about 622	about 5.28 km²	0.12% a year	Rural
24	NijagaCalbayog City, Samar	3,275	about 3,575	about 0.916 km²	2.53% a year	Rural
25	San AntonioBasey, Samar	3,262	about 2,812	about 1.16 km²	2.20% a year	Rural
26	PayahanCalbayog City, Samar	3,225	about 2,932	about 1.10 km²	−1.80% a year	Urban
27	Poblacion 9Catbalogan City, Samar	3,095	about 10,248	about 0.302 km²	0.85% a year	Rural
28	MonbonSanta Margarita, Samar	3,033	about 2,370	about 1.28 km²	−2.28% a year	Rural
29	PolangiCalbiga, Samar	3,020	about 581	about 5.20 km²	0.69% a year	Rural
30	Poblacion 3Catbalogan City, Samar	3,002	about 41,811	about 0.0718 km²	−0.78% a year	Urban
31	MabiniBasey, Samar	2,904	about 19	about 149.98 km²	0.61% a year	Rural
32	SilangaCatbalogan City, Samar	2,856	about 1,690	about 1.69 km²	−0.97% a year	Rural
33	GuirangBasey, Samar	2,838	about 52	about 54.72 km²	0.33% a year	Rural
34	Danao ICalbayog City, Samar	2,784	about 561	about 4.96 km²	−1.50% a year	Rural
35	PeñaCalbayog City, Samar	2,668	about 434	about 6.15 km²	−1.01% a year	Rural
36	BaludCalbayog City, Samar	2,636	about 21,967	about 0.12 km²	−4.03% a year	Urban
37	CarmenCalbayog City, Samar	2,615	about 1,909	about 1.37 km²	0.41% a year	Rural
38	CalapiMotiong, Samar	2,613	about 159	about 16.42 km²	−0.31% a year	Rural
39	TenaniParanas, Samar	2,477	about 75	about 32.87 km²	3.25% a year	Rural
40	Barangay No. 8Jiabong, Samar	2,415	about 1,872	about 1.29 km²	0.72% a year	Rural
41	Aguit-itanCalbayog City, Samar	2,413	about 12,634	about 0.191 km²	−2.20% a year	Urban
42	CagnipaCalbayog City, Samar	2,407	about 256	about 9.39 km²	0.83% a year	Rural
43	DampiganSanta Rita, Samar	2,334	about 314	about 7.43 km²	0.69% a year	Rural
44	OquendoCalbayog City, Samar	2,294	about 765	about 3.00 km²	1.52% a year	Rural
45	RawisHinabangan, Samar	2,276	about 1,059	about 2.15 km²	2.25% a year	Rural
46	ParasanonPinabacdao, Samar	2,257	about 603	about 3.74 km²	1.77% a year	Rural
47	Barangay 1San Jose De Buan, Samar	2,212	about 166	about 13.31 km²	3.66% a year	Rural
48	MagsaysaySanta Rita, Samar	2,187	about 699	about 3.13 km²	0.62% a year	Rural
49	PabanogParanas, Samar	2,187	about 206	about 10.60 km²	3.92% a year	Rural
50	PayaoCatbalogan City, Samar	2,173	about 641	about 3.39 km²	0.90% 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.