Barangay Santa Cruz

Barangay Santa Cruz is a small barangay in the municipality of Dolores, located in the province of Eastern Samar, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 542. This made it the 32nd largest of 46 barangays in Dolores by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 1.21% of the total population of Dolores, which stood at 44,626 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Santa Cruz moving from 583 residents to 542 residents, an intercensal change of -7.0%. The trajectory indicates a contracting community. Barangay Santa Cruz is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Dolores is a municipality comprising 46 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 Eastern Samar, which contains 597 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 329th by 2020 population. Eastern Samar 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.