Barangay Santa Cruz

Barangay Santa Cruz forms part of Malitbog, a municipality in Southern Leyte, and is classified as a small barangay.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 1,288. This made it the 3rd largest of 37 barangays in Malitbog by population, placing it among the most populous barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 5.54% of the total population of Malitbog, which stood at 23,256 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 1,273 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 1,288 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +1.2%, consistent with a slowly expanding 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.

Malitbog is a municipality comprising 37 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 Southern Leyte, which contains 500 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 81st by 2020 population. Southern Leyte is classified as a 3rd by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Santa Cruz is led by an elected Punong Barangay (barangay captain) supported by seven Sangguniang Barangay members (kagawads), an SK Chairperson, a Barangay Secretary, and a Barangay Treasurer. The next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, with officials serving four-year terms under Republic Act No. 12232.