Barangay Dating Bayan

Barangay Dating Bayan is a very small barangay in the municipality of Santa Cruz, located in the province of Marinduque, in the MIMAROPA Region region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Dating Bayan had a population of 387. This made it the 51st largest of 55 barangays in Santa Cruz by population, placing it among the smaller barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Dating Bayan accounted for approximately 0.71% of the total population of Santa Cruz, which stood at 54,692 in the same census year.

Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses, the population of Barangay Dating Bayan changed from 419 to 387, a shift of -7.6% over the five-year period. This places the barangay among those with contracting populations in Santa Cruz. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Dating Bayan as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Santa Cruz is a municipality comprising 55 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Dating Bayan, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Marinduque, which contains 218 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Dating Bayan ranks 195th by 2020 population. Marinduque is classified as a 4th by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Like every Philippine barangay, Barangay Dating Bayan 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.