Barangay Santa Cruz (Pob.)

Situated in Loreto, Dinagat Islands, Barangay Santa Cruz (Pob.) is one of 10 barangays that make up the municipality within Caraga.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Cruz (Pob.) had a population of 798. This made it the 6th largest of 10 barangays in Loreto by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz (Pob.) accounted for approximately 8.24% of the total population of Loreto, which stood at 9,690 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Santa Cruz (Pob.) changed from 689 to 798, a shift of +15.8% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Loreto. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Santa Cruz (Pob.) as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Loreto is a municipality comprising 10 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Santa Cruz (Pob.), including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Dinagat Islands, which contains 100 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz (Pob.) ranks 68th by 2020 population. Dinagat Islands is classified as a 4th 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.