Barangay San Rafael

Barangay San Rafael is a mid-sized barangay in the municipality of Pilar, located in the province of Sorsogon, in the Bicol Region region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay San Rafael had a population of 3,312. This made it the 2nd largest of 49 barangays in Pilar by population, placing it among the most populous barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay San Rafael accounted for approximately 4.37% of the total population of Pilar, which stood at 75,793 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay San Rafael changed from 3,488 to 3,312, a shift of -5.0% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in Pilar. Barangay San Rafael is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Pilar is a municipality comprising 49 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay San Rafael, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Sorsogon, which contains 541 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay San Rafael ranks 38th by 2020 population. Sorsogon is classified as a 2nd by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay San Rafael 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.