Barangay Baras

Barangay Baras is a small barangay in the municipality of Esperanza, located in the province of Masbate, in the Bicol Region region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Baras had a population of 1,192. This made it the 3rd largest of 20 barangays in Esperanza by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Baras accounted for approximately 6.80% of the total population of Esperanza, which stood at 17,534 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 1,221 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 1,192 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -2.4%, consistent with a contracting settlement. Barangay Baras is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Esperanza is a municipality comprising 20 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Baras, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Masbate, which contains 550 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Baras ranks 310th by 2020 population. Masbate is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Baras 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.