Barangay Sta. Cruz

Barangay Sta. Cruz is a mid-sized barangay in the municipality of Masantol, located in the province of Pampanga, in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Sta. Cruz had a population of 2,452. This made it the 9th largest of 26 barangays in Masantol by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Sta. Cruz accounted for approximately 4.23% of the total population of Masantol, which stood at 57,990 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Sta. Cruz moving from 2,171 residents to 2,452 residents, an intercensal change of +12.9%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. Barangay Sta. Cruz is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Masantol is a municipality comprising 26 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Sta. Cruz, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Pampanga, which contains 538 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Sta. Cruz ranks 363rd by 2020 population. Pampanga 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.