Barangay Upper Santo Niño

Barangay Upper Santo Niño is a mid-sized barangay in the municipality of Mahayag, located in the province of Zamboanga Del Sur, in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Upper Santo Niño had a population of 2,117. This made it the 6th largest of 29 barangays in Mahayag by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Upper Santo Niño accounted for approximately 4.39% of the total population of Mahayag, which stood at 48,258 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 2,090 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 2,117 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +1.3%, consistent with a slowly expanding settlement. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Upper Santo Niño as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Mahayag is a municipality comprising 29 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Upper Santo Niño, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Zamboanga Del Sur, which contains 779 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Upper Santo Niño ranks 106th by 2020 population. Zamboanga Del Sur is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

The barangay's legislative and executive affairs are handled by a Punong Barangay and the Sangguniang Barangay, elected nationwide during the Barangay and SK Elections. The next BSKE is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, following the synchronized election schedule set by COMELEC Resolution No. 11191.