Barangay Mercedes

Barangay Mercedes is a small barangay in the municipality of Caraga, located in the province of Davao Oriental, in the Davao Region region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Mercedes had a population of 1,190. This made it the 13th largest of 17 barangays in Caraga by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Mercedes accounted for approximately 3.00% of the total population of Caraga, which stood at 39,704 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Mercedes changed from 1,243 to 1,190, a shift of -4.3% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in Caraga. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Mercedes as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Caraga is a municipality comprising 17 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Mercedes, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Davao Oriental, which contains 183 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Mercedes ranks 147th by 2020 population. Davao Oriental is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

The barangay's legislative and executive affairs are handled by a Punong Barangay and the Sangguniang Barangay, elected nationwide during the Barangay and SK Elections. The next BSKE is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, following the synchronized election schedule set by COMELEC Resolution No. 11191.