# Santa Cruz, Zambales

Santa Cruz, officially the Municipality of Santa Cruz (Sambal: Babali nin Santa Cruz; Ilocano: Ili ti Santa Cruz; Filipino: Bayan ng Santa Cruz), is a municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 63,839 people.
Santa Cruz is 136 kilometres (85 mi) from Olongapo, 58 kilometres (36 mi) from Iba, and 262 kilometres (163 mi) from Manila.

## Geography
### Barangays

Santa Cruz is politically subdivided into 25 barangays.  Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
* Babuyan
* Bangcol
* Bayto
* Biay
* Bolitoc
* Bulawon
* Canaynayan
* Gama
* Guinabon
* Guisguis
* Lipay
* Lomboy
* Lucapon North
* Lucapon South
* Malabago
* Naulo
* Pagatpat
* Pamonoran
* Poblacion North
* Poblacion South
* Sabang
* San Fernando
* Tabalong
* Tubotubo North
* Tubotubo South

### Climate

Climate data for Santa Cruz, Zambales :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30 (86) | 32 (90) | 33 (91) | 34 (93) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19 (66) | 20 (68) | 21 (70) | 23 (73) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 20 (68) | 23 (73) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 9 (0.4) | 10 (0.4) | 16 (0.6) | 27 (1.1) | 137 (5.4) | 183 (7.2) | 215 (8.5) | 219 (8.6) | 190 (7.5) | 124 (4.9) | 45 (1.8) | 18 (0.7) | 1,193 (47.1) |
| Average rainy days | 4.6 | 4.4 | 6.9 | 10.3 | 21.8 | 25.4 | 27.2 | 26.4 | 25.2 | 19.7 | 13.8 | 7.0 | 192.7 |
| Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally) ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1903 | 5,952 | — |
| 1918 | 8,458 | +2.37% |
| 1939 | 11,194 | +1.34% |
| 1948 | 14,613 | +3.01% |
| 1960 | 20,809 | +2.99% |
| 1970 | 28,282 | +3.11% |
| 1975 | 32,307 | +2.70% |
| 1980 | 35,665 | +2.00% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1990 | 41,273 | +1.47% |
| 1995 | 43,623 | +1.04% |
| 2000 | 49,269 | +2.64% |
| 2007 | 52,202 | +0.80% |
| 2010 | 53,867 | +1.15% |
| 2015 | 58,151 | +1.47% |
| 2020 | 63,839 | +1.85% |
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority :
In the 2020 census, the population of Santa Cruz, Zambales, was 63,839 people, with a density of 150 inhabitants per square kilometre or 390 inhabitants per square mile.

## Economy

Poverty incidence of Santa Cruz
* 5
* 10
* 15
* 20
* 25
* 30
* 2006 18.20
* 2009 18.69
* 2012 18.93
* 2015 23.68
* 2018 9.60
* 2021 24.93
* Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
Banking and Financial sector is well developed in this town. Several banks such as Philippine National Bank - Northern Zambales branch, Bank of Commerce, BDO Network Bank, and some rural banks are in place as well as remittance centers like Palawan Pawnshop, Cebuana Luillher, Western Union and LBC Express including other local pawnshops.
There is also a vibrant merchandising and trade in town. Convenient store, local department store, groceries and known pharmaceutical shops serving the public.
Two cinema houses (the Ebido and Mose) were previously serving the locals but due to high availability of recording media and online movies can now readily watched, the cinema houses eventually closed.
Cable Television services, PLDT Telephone/Fiber network (previously Digitel and recently the Converge ICT IT joined the internetworking services for the local aside from the vast network signal of the mobile services.

## Education

The town has both public and private educational institution, including those run by religious organizations, foundations and individuals. The President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU) Sta Cruz Campus as part of Northern Cluster, formerly Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (RMTU) - Santa Cruz Campus is part of the PRMSU system operating in the whole Zambales Province, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in Educational Teaching and other courses. Columban College - Santa Cruz campus is part of the Columban College System controlled by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba, headed by the Bishop of Diocese of Iba. Micro Asia College of Science and Technology - Santa Cruz campus offering primary, both junior and senior high school and college degrees in computer science and computer engineering likewise TESDA courses. Santa Cruz Academy is a parochial secondary school operated and controlled by St. Michael the Archangel Parish of Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz High School is operated by the local government and there are Lipay High School, Santa Cruz South High School, Don Marcelo Marty High School, San Fernando High School, Acoje Mines High School, Mena Memorial Higj School and Guisguis National High School. St. Michael School is a private school that caters Preparatory, Elementary, and High School Education. Children of Zion Montessori School inc. is a private school that caters preparatory up to elementary. Santa Cruz has profound primary education where in every baranggay has its own elementary schools and some with high school departments established.