Barangay Puerto Bello

Barangay Puerto Bello is a mid-sized barangay in the municipality of Merida, located in the province of 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 Puerto Bello had a population of 4,369. This made it the 1st largest of 22 barangays in Merida by population, placing it among the most populous barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Puerto Bello accounted for approximately 13.84% of the total population of Merida, which stood at 31,574 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Puerto Bello moving from 4,102 residents to 4,369 residents, an intercensal change of +6.5%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Puerto Bello as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Merida is a municipality comprising 22 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Puerto Bello, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Leyte, which contains 1,641 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Puerto Bello ranks 31st by 2020 population. Leyte 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.