Barangay Merit

Classified as a very small barangay, Barangay Merit is one of the administrative divisions of Victoria in Oriental Mindoro, MIMAROPA Region, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Merit had a population of 491. This made it the 32nd largest of 32 barangays in Victoria by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Merit accounted for approximately 0.94% of the total population of Victoria, which stood at 52,175 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Merit moving from 584 residents to 491 residents, an intercensal change of -15.9%. The trajectory indicates a contracting community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Merit as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Victoria is a municipality comprising 32 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Merit, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Oriental Mindoro, which contains 426 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Merit ranks 417th by 2020 population. Oriental Mindoro is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Merit 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.