Barangay Lawa-an

Classified as a very small barangay, Barangay Lawa-an is one of the administrative divisions of Villareal in Samar, Eastern Visayas, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Lawa-an had a population of 274. This made it the 32nd largest of 38 barangays in Villareal by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Lawa-an accounted for approximately 1.00% of the total population of Villareal, which stood at 27,394 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Lawa-an changed from 291 to 274, a shift of -5.8% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in Villareal. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Lawa-an as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Villareal is a municipality comprising 38 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Lawa-an, 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 Lawa-an ranks 770th 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 Lawa-an 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.