Barangay Santa Cruz

Barangay Santa Cruz forms part of Carmen, a municipality in Surigao Del Sur, and is classified as a small barangay.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 1,097. This made it the 5th largest of 8 barangays in Carmen by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 9.36% of the total population of Carmen, which stood at 11,720 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 986 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 1,097 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +11.3%, 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.

Carmen is a municipality comprising 8 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 Surigao Del Sur, which contains 309 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 206th by 2020 population. Surigao Del Sur is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Santa Cruz is governed by an elected Sangguniang Barangay composed of a Punong Barangay and seven kagawads, with the Sangguniang Kabataan representing the youth. The next BSKE, set for Monday, November 2, 2026, will elect officials to four-year terms as provided under Republic Act No. 12232.