Barangay Baras

Situated in Santo Niño, Samar, Barangay Baras is one of 13 barangays that make up the municipality within Eastern Visayas.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Baras had a population of 874. This made it the 9th largest of 13 barangays in Santo Niño by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Baras accounted for approximately 6.98% of the total population of Santo Niño, which stood at 12,519 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 853 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 874 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +2.5%, consistent with a growing settlement. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Baras 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 Baras, 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 Baras ranks 279th 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 Baras 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.