Barangay Balocawe

Situated in Gandara, Samar, Barangay Balocawe is one of 69 barangays that make up the municipality within Eastern Visayas.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Balocawe had a population of 358. This made it the 40th largest of 69 barangays in Gandara by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Balocawe accounted for approximately 1.02% of the total population of Gandara, which stood at 35,242 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Balocawe moving from 334 residents to 358 residents, an intercensal change of +7.2%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Balocawe as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Gandara is a municipality comprising 69 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Balocawe, 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 Balocawe ranks 671st 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 Balocawe 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.