Barangay Santa Cruz

Situated in Villaba, Leyte, Barangay Santa Cruz is one of 35 barangays that make up the municipality within Eastern Visayas.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 1,264. This made it the 15th largest of 35 barangays in Villaba by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 2.95% of the total population of Villaba, which stood at 42,859 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Santa Cruz moving from 1,156 residents to 1,264 residents, an intercensal change of +9.3%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. Barangay Santa Cruz is officially classified as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Villaba is a municipality comprising 35 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 453rd 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.