Barangay Buhatan

Situated in Rapu-Rapu, Albay, Barangay Buhatan is one of 34 barangays that make up the municipality within Bicol Region.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Buhatan had a population of 978. This made it the 14th largest of 34 barangays in Rapu-Rapu by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Buhatan accounted for approximately 2.71% of the total population of Rapu-Rapu, which stood at 36,151 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Buhatan changed from 1,016 to 978, a shift of -3.7% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in Rapu-Rapu. Barangay Buhatan is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Rapu-Rapu is a municipality comprising 34 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Buhatan, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Albay, which contains 720 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Buhatan ranks 502nd by 2020 population. Albay is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Buhatan 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.