Barangay Carolina

Barangay Carolina is a very small barangay in the municipality of Matuguinao, located in the province of Samar, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Carolina had a population of 151. This made it the 18th largest of 20 barangays in Matuguinao by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Carolina accounted for approximately 2.05% of the total population of Matuguinao, which stood at 7,364 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 191 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 151 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -20.9%, consistent with a contracting settlement. Barangay Carolina is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Matuguinao is a municipality comprising 20 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Carolina, 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 Carolina ranks 910th 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 Carolina 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.