Barangay Buao

Barangay Buao forms part of Gandara, a municipality in Samar, and is classified as a very small barangay.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Buao had a population of 403. This made it the 32nd largest of 69 barangays in Gandara by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Buao accounted for approximately 1.14% of the total population of Gandara, which stood at 35,242 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Buao moving from 354 residents to 403 residents, an intercensal change of +13.8%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. Barangay Buao is officially classified 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 Buao, 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 Buao ranks 622nd 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 Buao 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.