PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Land Area              -        144 sq. km.

Built-up Area          -        241.1368 has.

Agricultural             -        4.783.47 has.

Forest/Timberland   -        2,633.75 has.

Beaches                 -        120 has.

There  are three (3) major rivers, namely:  Buaya  River,  Sevilla River  and  the Bayugao River. The climate is of Hernandez type. The total annual rainfall is recorded at 585.5 mm. While the mean annual temperature is 27.28 degrees celcius.

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

The total population of the municipality of Sta. Cruz is 36,657 while the no. of households is 7,161. The population growth rate is 2.15%. Household size is 5 persons per household and the population density is 254 persons per sq.km.   The Municipality of Santa Cruz is composed of 49 barangays and ten (10) sitios.

The population of those 15 year old and above based on the 1995 census is recorded at 17,922. Those who are employed reached 8,730 while unemployed is 1,468 which means a total of 10,198 persons in the labor force. Those not belonging to the labor force is 7,724. The employment rate is 85.60% while the unemployment rate is 14.40%. The labor force/participation rate is 85.60% Roman Catholic is the prevalent religion in the municipality.

ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS

The major source of income of the municipality are the following; a.) farming and fishing b.) Bagoong making in barangay Pilar and Pinpin c.) salt making in barangay Capariaan and d.) vinegar and wine making. There are 1125 commercial establishments given permit to operate.

NATURAL FEATURES, AND OTHER PHYSICAL DATA

Geographic Location

The municipality of Sta. Cruz lies in the southern most part of Ilocos Sur and is situated along the coastal shore of the South China Sea. It lies within 120 degrees 34 minutes longtitude and 17 degrees 07 minutes latitude. It is bounded in the north by the municipality of Suyo and Tagudin and on the west by the South China Sea. It is 74 kilometers from Vigan, the capital of Ilocos Sur, 62 kms. from San Fernando, La Union, Regional Center of Region I and 334 kilometers north of Manila.

Topography

The municipality of Sta. Cruz is twelve (12) km. west to east and twelve (12) kilometer north to south. The eastern most part of the town from the north to south boundaries is mountainous with a maximum elevation of seven hundred meters (700) above sea level at sitios Linggawa and Quinbilibil.

From these points, elevation drops gradually into the vicinity of barangays Pidpid, Bugbuga, Camanggaan, Padaoil it levels of at a minimum elevation of six (6) meters above sea level at the western part of the municipality. Of the total land area of 14,400 hectares, thirty seven percent (37%) are land area with a slope reaching fifteen (15) degrees.

Education

The total number of public elementary school is 22 and there is one (1) private elementary school. The number of public secondary school is two (2) while the private secondary school is (4). For the elementary, 4.936 is the total number of enrollment while for the secondary there is 2598 no. of enrollment.

Health & Nutrition

There is one main health center with six (6) barangay health stations to serve the populace, managed by one (1) rural health physician; one (1) public health nurse; six (6) rural health midwives; one (1) public health dentist and one (1) dental aide and one (1) sanitary inspector.

The crude birth rate (CBR) is 21.9/1000; the infant mortality rate is 13.75 while the maternal mortality rate is none.

Social Welfare

There are 45 day care centers in the municipality managed by forty three (43) day care workers. The total no. of day care children is 1016.

Protective Services

The PNP station is within the vicinity of the municipal compound with twenty four (24) personnel including police officers.

Recreation / Sports Facilities

The 49 barangays of the municipality, have their own multi-purpose pavements. The four private high schools have also their own basketball courts for students to utilize.

Infrastructure

a. National roads                        -                  12 km.

b. Provincial roads                      -                  31.08 km.

c. Municipal road                        -                  10.218 km.

d. Barangay road                        -                  104.67 km.

The road to population ratio is 1.58/100 population while the road density is 10.97 has.

The distance of the municipality of Sta. Cruz from Manila is 334 km. Baguio is 133 km., San Fernando La Union is 62 km., Vigan is 74 km., Bangued Abra is 74 km. and Laoag City is 154 km.

There are two (2) post offices; one (1) located at the municipal building while the other is at barangay Sevilla.

There are four (4) telephone companies operating in the municipality namely; Digitel, Smart, Globe and Bayantel. The power is coming/supplied by the ISECO. All the 49 barangays are with electricity.

All the developments that had brought laurels to the municipality were all achieved through the concerted efforts of the municipal officials, employees, NGO’s and wide participation of all concerned citizens.

Every citizen in this municipality is hopeful that tomorrow the Municipality of Sta. Cruz will become the Most Progressive town in the Province of Ilocos Sur.