Barangay Hagbay

Barangay Hagbay forms part of San Jose De Buan, a municipality in Samar, and is classified as a very small barangay.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Hagbay had a population of 174. This made it the 14th largest of 14 barangays in San Jose De Buan by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Hagbay accounted for approximately 2.24% of the total population of San Jose De Buan, which stood at 7,767 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 196 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 174 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -11.2%, consistent with a contracting settlement. Barangay Hagbay is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

San Jose De Buan is a municipality comprising 14 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Hagbay, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Samar, which contains 951 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Hagbay ranks 888th by 2020 population. Samar 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.