A barangay (formerly called barrio) is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In colloquial usage, the term often refers to an inner city neighborhood, a suburb or a suburban neighborhood. Municipalities and cities are composed of barangays.
The word barangay is a term originated from the word balangay, meaning ‘social unit.’ It is also the name of a kind of boat used by a group of Austronesian peoples when they migrated to the Philippines.
As of September 30, 2012, there were a total of 42,028 barangays throughout the Philippines.