Barangay Upper Santa Cruz

Barangay Upper Santa Cruz is a small barangay in the municipality of Ragay, located in the province of Camarines Sur, in the Bicol Region region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Upper Santa Cruz had a population of 1,136. This made it the 23rd largest of 38 barangays in Ragay by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Upper Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 1.90% of the total population of Ragay, which stood at 59,770 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Upper Santa Cruz changed from 1,048 to 1,136, a shift of +8.4% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with growing populations in Ragay. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Upper Santa Cruz as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Ragay is a municipality comprising 38 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Upper Santa Cruz, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Camarines Sur, which contains 1,063 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Upper Santa Cruz ranks 660th by 2020 population. Camarines Sur is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Upper Santa Cruz is governed by an elected Sangguniang Barangay composed of a Punong Barangay and seven kagawads, with the Sangguniang Kabataan representing the youth. The next BSKE, set for Monday, November 2, 2026, will elect officials to four-year terms as provided under Republic Act No. 12232.