Barangay Mabuhay

Barangay Mabuhay is a very small barangay in the municipality of Gandara, located in the province of Samar, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Mabuhay had a population of 255. This made it the 54th largest of 69 barangays in Gandara by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Mabuhay accounted for approximately 0.72% of the total population of Gandara, which stood at 35,242 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 234 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 255 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +9.0%, consistent with a growing settlement. Barangay Mabuhay 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 Mabuhay, 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 Mabuhay ranks 794th 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.

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.