Barangay Santa Cruz

Barangay Santa Cruz is a small barangay in the municipality of Tayasan, located in the province of Negros Oriental, in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 829. This made it the 20th largest of 28 barangays in Tayasan by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 2.17% of the total population of Tayasan, which stood at 38,159 in the same census year.

The barangay recorded 721 residents in the 2015 intercensal count and 829 residents in the 2020 Census — a net change of +15.0%, consistent with a growing 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.

Tayasan is a municipality comprising 28 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 Negros Oriental, which contains 557 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 497th by 2020 population. Negros Oriental 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.