Barangay Payao

Situated in City of Catbalogan, Samar, Barangay Payao is one of 57 barangays that make up the city within Eastern Visayas.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Payao had a population of 2,093. This made it the 13th largest of 57 barangays in City of Catbalogan by population, placing it in the upper half of the city. Residents of Barangay Payao accounted for approximately 1.97% of the total population of City of Catbalogan, which stood at 106,440 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 1,796 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 2,093 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +16.5%, consistent with a growing settlement. Barangay Payao is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

City of Catbalogan is a city comprising 57 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Payao, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Samar, which contains 951 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Payao ranks 57th by 2020 population. Samar is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Payao 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.