Barangay Santa Cruz

Barangay Santa Cruz is a very small barangay in the municipality of Matuguinao, located in the province of Samar, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 184. This made it the 14th largest of 20 barangays in Matuguinao by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 2.50% of the total population of Matuguinao, which stood at 7,364 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Santa Cruz changed from 168 to 184, a shift of +9.5% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Matuguinao. 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.

Matuguinao is a municipality comprising 20 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 Samar, which contains 951 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 877th by 2020 population. Samar is classified as a 1st 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.