Barangay Santa Cruz

Barangay Santa Cruz is a small barangay in the municipality of Diplahan, located in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 856. This made it the 16th largest of 22 barangays in Diplahan by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 2.63% of the total population of Diplahan, which stood at 32,585 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 814 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 856 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +5.2%, 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.

Diplahan is a municipality comprising 22 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 Zamboanga Sibugay, which contains 389 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 294th by 2020 population. Zamboanga Sibugay is classified as a 2nd 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.