Barangay Santa Rosa

Barangay Santa Rosa is a very small barangay in the municipality of Villareal, located in the province of Samar, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Rosa had a population of 444. This made it the 25th largest of 38 barangays in Villareal by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Rosa accounted for approximately 1.62% of the total population of Villareal, which stood at 27,394 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 474 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 444 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -6.3%, consistent with a contracting settlement. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa ranks 582nd 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 Santa Rosa 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.