Barangay Maniwaya

Barangay Maniwaya is a 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 Philippine census, Barangay Maniwaya had a population of 1,573. This made it the 7th largest of 55 barangays in Santa Cruz by population, placing it in the upper half of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Maniwaya accounted for approximately 2.88% of the total population of Santa Cruz, which stood at 54,692 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Maniwaya moving from 1,482 residents to 1,573 residents, an intercensal change of +6.1%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. Barangay Maniwaya is officially classified 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 Maniwaya, 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 Maniwaya ranks 43rd 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.

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.