Barangay Ilaya

Barangay Ilaya is a very small barangay in the municipality of Hinunangan, located in the province of Southern Leyte, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Ilaya had a population of 457. This made it the 32nd largest of 40 barangays in Hinunangan by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Ilaya accounted for approximately 1.57% of the total population of Hinunangan, which stood at 29,149 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 518 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 457 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -11.8%, consistent with a contracting settlement. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Ilaya as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Hinunangan is a municipality comprising 40 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Ilaya, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Southern Leyte, which contains 500 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Ilaya ranks 359th by 2020 population. Southern Leyte is classified as a 3rd by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Ilaya is governed by an elected Sangguniang Barangay composed of a Punong Barangay and seven kagawads, with the Sangguniang Kabataan representing the youth. The next BSKE, set for Monday, November 2, 2026, will elect officials to four-year terms as provided under Republic Act No. 12232.