Barangay Santa Cruz

Situated in San Manuel, Isabela, Barangay Santa Cruz is one of 19 barangays that make up the municipality within Cagayan Valley.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 1,660. This made it the 13th largest of 19 barangays in San Manuel by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 4.87% of the total population of San Manuel, which stood at 34,085 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Santa Cruz moving from 1,729 residents to 1,660 residents, an intercensal change of -4.0%. The trajectory indicates a contracting 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.

San Manuel is a municipality comprising 19 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 Isabela, which contains 1,055 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 367th by 2020 population. Isabela is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay 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.