Barangay Balatguti

Barangay Balatguti is a small barangay in the municipality of Santo Niño, located in the province of Samar, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Balatguti had a population of 566. This made it the 11th largest of 13 barangays in Santo Niño by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Balatguti accounted for approximately 4.52% of the total population of Santo Niño, which stood at 12,519 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 713 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 566 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -20.6%, consistent with a contracting settlement. Barangay Balatguti is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Santo Niño is a municipality comprising 13 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Balatguti, 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 Balatguti ranks 480th 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.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Balatguti 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.