Barangay Santa Cruz

Barangay Santa Cruz is a small barangay in the municipality of Tanauan, located in the province of Leyte, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 732. This made it the 29th largest of 54 barangays in Tanauan by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 1.27% of the total population of Tanauan, which stood at 57,455 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 820 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 732 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of -10.7%, consistent with a contracting settlement. Barangay Santa Cruz is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Tanauan is a municipality comprising 54 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 Leyte, which contains 1,641 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 864th by 2020 population. Leyte is classified as a 1st 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.