Barangay Doña Mercedes

Barangay Doña Mercedes forms part of Guinobatan, a municipality in Albay, and is classified as a small barangay.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Doña Mercedes had a population of 1,471. This made it the 25th largest of 44 barangays in Guinobatan by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Doña Mercedes accounted for approximately 1.71% of the total population of Guinobatan, which stood at 85,786 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Doña Mercedes moving from 1,411 residents to 1,471 residents, an intercensal change of +4.3%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. Barangay Doña Mercedes is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Guinobatan is a municipality comprising 44 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Doña Mercedes, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Albay, which contains 720 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Doña Mercedes ranks 356th by 2020 population. Albay 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 Doña Mercedes 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.