Barangay Santo Niño

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

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Santo Niño had a population of 633. This made it the 18th largest of 69 barangays in Gandara by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santo Niño accounted for approximately 1.80% of the total population of Gandara, which stood at 35,242 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 643 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 633 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -1.6%, consistent with a broadly stable settlement. Barangay Santo Niño 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 Santo Niño, 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 Santo Niño ranks 419th 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 Santo Niño 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.