Barangay Payak

Barangay Payak is a mid-sized barangay in the municipality of Bato, located in the province of Camarines Sur, in the Bicol Region region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Payak had a population of 2,012. This made it the 10th largest of 33 barangays in Bato by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Payak accounted for approximately 3.86% of the total population of Bato, which stood at 52,155 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Payak changed from 1,917 to 2,012, a shift of +5.0% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Bato. Barangay Payak 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 33 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Payak, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Camarines Sur, which contains 1,063 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Payak ranks 345th by 2020 population. Camarines Sur is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Payak is led by an elected Punong Barangay (barangay captain) supported by seven Sangguniang Barangay members (kagawads), an SK Chairperson, a Barangay Secretary, and a Barangay Treasurer. The next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, with officials serving four-year terms under Republic Act No. 12232.