Barangay Santo Niño

Classified as a very small barangay, Barangay Santo Niño is one of the administrative divisions of Bato in Leyte, Eastern Visayas, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santo Niño had a population of 336. This made it the 29th largest of 32 barangays in Bato by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santo Niño accounted for approximately 0.87% of the total population of Bato, which stood at 38,505 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 355 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 336 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -5.4%, consistent with a contracting settlement. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Santo Niño 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 Santo Niño, 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 Santo Niño ranks 1342nd 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 Santo Niño 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.