Barangay Mercedes

Barangay Mercedes is a mid-sized barangay in the municipality of Poro, located in the province of Cebu, in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Mercedes had a population of 2,973. This made it the 3rd largest of 17 barangays in Poro by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Mercedes accounted for approximately 11.33% of the total population of Poro, which stood at 26,232 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Mercedes changed from 2,585 to 2,973, a shift of +15.0% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Poro. Barangay Mercedes is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Poro is a municipality comprising 17 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Mercedes, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Cebu, which contains 1,203 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Mercedes ranks 342nd by 2020 population. Cebu is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Mercedes is governed by an elected Sangguniang Barangay composed of a Punong Barangay and seven kagawads, with the Sangguniang Kabataan representing the youth. The next BSKE, set for Monday, November 2, 2026, will elect officials to four-year terms as provided under Republic Act No. 12232.