Barangay Cañelas

Barangay Cañelas forms part of San Fernando, a municipality in Masbate, and is classified as a small barangay.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Cañelas had a population of 836. This made it the 8th largest of 26 barangays in San Fernando by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Cañelas accounted for approximately 3.87% of the total population of San Fernando, which stood at 21,600 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Cañelas moving from 787 residents to 836 residents, an intercensal change of +6.2%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Cañelas as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

San Fernando is a municipality comprising 26 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Cañelas, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Masbate, which contains 550 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Cañelas ranks 429th by 2020 population. Masbate 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.