The smallest administrative division in the Philippines, similar to a village or neighborhood, with its own local government.
From Malay barangay or balangay, originally meaning a boat or sailing vessel, later applied to the community that came together on these boats. The term evolved to represent the basic unit of Philippine society.
The word 'barangay' literally means 'boat' because these were the communities that arrived by boat to settle the Philippines—the administrative word for an entire region is named after a ship!
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