Santa Cruz, Zambales

Santa Cruz
—  Municipality  —
Map of Zambales showing the location of Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°46′1″N 119°54′32″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon (Region III)
Province	Zambales
District	2nd district
Founded
Barangays	26
Government
• Mayor	Luisito E. Marty
Area
• Total	438.46 km2 (169.29 sq mi)
Population (2007)
• Total	52,202
• Density	120/km2 (310/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	2213
Income class	2nd class

Population Census of Santa Cruz
Census	Pop.		Rate
1995	43,623		—
2000	49,269		2.65%
2007	52,202		0.80%

Santa Cruz is a 2nd class municipality located on the northern edge of the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 52,202 people in 9,754 households.

The town has both public and private schools, including those run by religious organizations, foundations and individuals. The Ramon Magsaysay Polytechnic University (RMTU) - Sta. Cruz Campus is part of the RMTU SYstem operating in the whole Zambales Province, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in Educational Teaching and other courses. Columban College - Sta. 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. Sta. Cruz Academy is a parochial secondary school operated and controlled by St. Michael the Archangel Parish of Sta. Cruz. The Sta. Cruz High School is operated by the local government and there are Lipay High School and Guisguis National High School.

History

At the beginning of the 17th century, in the year 1612, the town of “Sigayan”, now Sta. Cruz, was found in the Sitio of Tambobong, which is now within the jurisdiction of the municipality of Dasol, Pangasinan. It is said that when the first Spanish missionaries arrived at the Sitio, they asked the natives the name of the place, but the latter, thinking that the strangers were asking for the name of the shells that were found in abundance on the seashore, answered “Sigayan”. Hence the name. The Catholics of the town later built a church which was placed under the charge of Fr. Alonzo de San Agustin. One day, many years later, a Negrito by the name of Ytahat killed the priest whose sermon on the church’s pulpit was mistaken for insults directed at the natives. This incident forced the founders of the town to transfer the town sitio to another place, the sitio of “Salasa “, which is now within the jurisdiction of the barrio of Bayto, perhaps because they feared of further depredations by the savage Negritoes. This town was named “Alinsaog”, found at the beginning of the 18th century, whose ruins could still be seen up to the present. The town site remained in this place until the later part of the 19th century when it was abandoned by the natives because of the overflowing of the Bayto River which brought death and destruction to the inhabitants. The natives had to move to another townsite, the present location of the municipality. Years later, the people of this town found the image of St. Michael, from among the debris carried by the floodwaters of the Bayto River years back. They forthwith place a cross on the spot where they found the Holy image on which they built the present church and named the town Santa Cruz.

Barangays

Santa Cruz is politically subdivided into 26 barangays

Babuyan Bangcol Bayto Biay Bolitoc Bulawon Canaynayan Gama Guinabon Guisguis Lipay Lomboy Longos Lucapon North

Lucapon South Malabago Naulo Pagatpat Pamonoran Poblacion North Poblacion South Sabang San Fernando Tabalong Tubotubo North Tubotubo South

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 1995 Philippine Census Information
• 2000 Philippine Census Information
• 2007 Philippine Census Information