Barangay Mahayag

Situated in Matuguinao, Samar, Barangay Mahayag is one of 20 barangays that make up the municipality within Eastern Visayas.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Mahayag had a population of 158. This made it the 16th largest of 20 barangays in Matuguinao by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Mahayag accounted for approximately 2.15% of the total population of Matuguinao, which stood at 7,364 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Mahayag changed from 219 to 158, a shift of -27.9% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in Matuguinao. Barangay Mahayag 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 Mahayag, 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 Mahayag ranks 901st 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 Mahayag 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.