Barangay Lao Santa Cruz

Barangay Lao Santa Cruz is a small barangay in the municipality of Plaridel, located in the province of Misamis Occidental, in the Northern Mindanao region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Lao Santa Cruz had a population of 782. This made it the 21st largest of 33 barangays in Plaridel by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Lao Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 1.96% of the total population of Plaridel, which stood at 39,840 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Lao Santa Cruz moving from 764 residents to 782 residents, an intercensal change of +2.4%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Lao Santa Cruz as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Plaridel is a municipality comprising 33 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Lao Santa Cruz, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Misamis Occidental, which contains 490 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Lao Santa Cruz ranks 282nd by 2020 population. Misamis Occidental is classified as a 2nd 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.