Barangay Santa Cruz

Situated in Mahaplag, Leyte, Barangay Santa Cruz is one of 28 barangays that make up the municipality within Eastern Visayas.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 442. This made it the 21st largest of 28 barangays in Mahaplag by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 1.59% of the total population of Mahaplag, which stood at 27,865 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 326 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 442 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +35.6%, consistent with a growing settlement. 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.

Mahaplag is a municipality comprising 28 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 Leyte, which contains 1,641 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 1222nd by 2020 population. Leyte is classified as a 1st 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.