Barangay Santa Cruz

Classified as a very small barangay, Barangay Santa Cruz is one of the administrative divisions of Salcedo in Eastern Samar, Eastern Visayas, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 258. This made it the 35th largest of 41 barangays in Salcedo by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 1.17% of the total population of Salcedo, which stood at 22,136 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Santa Cruz moving from 257 residents to 258 residents, an intercensal change of +0.4%. The trajectory indicates a slowly expanding community. 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.

Salcedo is a municipality comprising 41 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 Eastern Samar, which contains 597 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 525th by 2020 population. Eastern Samar is classified as a 2nd 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.