Barangay Palanas

Situated in Gandara, Samar, Barangay Palanas 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 Palanas had a population of 507. This made it the 25th largest of 69 barangays in Gandara by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Palanas accounted for approximately 1.44% of the total population of Gandara, which stood at 35,242 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Palanas changed from 479 to 507, a shift of +5.8% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Gandara. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Palanas 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 Palanas, 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 Palanas ranks 524th 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.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Palanas is led by an elected Punong Barangay (barangay captain) supported by seven Sangguniang Barangay members (kagawads), an SK Chairperson, a Barangay Secretary, and a Barangay Treasurer. The next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, with officials serving four-year terms under Republic Act No. 12232.