Barangay Mercedes

Barangay Mercedes is a very small barangay in the municipality of Dimataling, located in the province of Zamboanga Del Sur, in the Zamboanga Peninsula 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 432. This made it the 22nd largest of 24 barangays in Dimataling by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Mercedes accounted for approximately 1.38% of the total population of Dimataling, which stood at 31,340 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 433 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 432 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -0.2%, consistent with a broadly stable settlement. 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.

Dimataling is a municipality comprising 24 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 Zamboanga Del Sur, which contains 779 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Mercedes ranks 634th by 2020 population. Zamboanga Del Sur 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.