Barangay Santa Cruz

Situated in Bontoc, Southern Leyte, Barangay Santa Cruz is one of 40 barangays that make up the municipality within Eastern Visayas.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 1,524. This made it the 4th largest of 40 barangays in Bontoc by population, placing it among the most populous barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 5.11% of the total population of Bontoc, which stood at 29,799 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 1,428 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 1,524 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +6.7%, consistent with a growing settlement. Barangay Santa Cruz is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Bontoc is a municipality comprising 40 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 Southern Leyte, which contains 500 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 59th by 2020 population. Southern Leyte is classified as a 3rd by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Santa Cruz 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.