Barangay Santiago

Barangay Santiago forms part of Esperanza, a municipality in Masbate, and is classified as a small barangay.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santiago had a population of 679. This made it the 15th largest of 20 barangays in Esperanza by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santiago accounted for approximately 3.87% of the total population of Esperanza, which stood at 17,534 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Santiago changed from 821 to 679, a shift of -17.3% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in Esperanza. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Santiago 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 Santiago, 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 Santiago ranks 467th 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 Santiago 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.