Barangay Marcelo

Barangay Marcelo forms part of Bato, a municipality in Leyte, and is classified as a very small barangay.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Marcelo had a population of 431. This made it the 25th largest of 32 barangays in Bato by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Marcelo accounted for approximately 1.12% of the total population of Bato, which stood at 38,505 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 391 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 431 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +10.2%, consistent with a growing settlement. Barangay Marcelo is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Bato is a municipality comprising 32 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Marcelo, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Leyte, which contains 1,641 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Marcelo ranks 1229th by 2020 population. Leyte is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Marcelo is governed by an elected Sangguniang Barangay composed of a Punong Barangay and seven kagawads, with the Sangguniang Kabataan representing the youth. The next BSKE, set for Monday, November 2, 2026, will elect officials to four-year terms as provided under Republic Act No. 12232.