Barangay Santa Cruz

Classified as a small barangay, Barangay Santa Cruz is one of the administrative divisions of Jose Panganiban in Camarines Norte, Bicol Region, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 1,964. This made it the 13th largest of 27 barangays in Jose Panganiban by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 3.09% of the total population of Jose Panganiban, which stood at 63,662 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Santa Cruz moving from 1,939 residents to 1,964 residents, an intercensal change of +1.3%. The trajectory indicates a slowly expanding 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.

Jose Panganiban 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 Camarines Norte, which contains 282 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 121st by 2020 population. Camarines Norte is classified as a 2nd 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.