Barangay Santa Cruz

Barangay Santa Cruz forms part of Baco, a municipality in Oriental Mindoro, and is classified as a very small barangay.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 433. This made it the 26th largest of 27 barangays in Baco by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 1.09% of the total population of Baco, which stood at 39,817 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Santa Cruz moving from 440 residents to 433 residents, an intercensal change of -1.6%. The trajectory indicates a broadly stable community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Santa Cruz as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Baco is a municipality comprising 27 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz ranks 423rd 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.

The barangay's legislative and executive affairs are handled by a Punong Barangay and the Sangguniang Barangay, elected nationwide during the Barangay and SK Elections. The next BSKE is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, following the synchronized election schedule set by COMELEC Resolution No. 11191.