Barangay Samoyao

Barangay Samoyao is a 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 Samoyao had a population of 673. This made it the 14th largest of 69 barangays in Gandara by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Samoyao accounted for approximately 1.91% of the total population of Gandara, which stood at 35,242 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Samoyao moving from 651 residents to 673 residents, an intercensal change of +3.4%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. Barangay Samoyao 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 Samoyao, 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 Samoyao ranks 381st 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 Samoyao 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.